Falling Into Fiction
by crimsonsash
Summary: Three girls fall into the Yu Yu Hakusho world only to discover that it is the real world and their own was a fake. With the Spirit Detectives recruited to help them on their unavoidable quest, will love blossom? Or will someone get hurt?
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: Yep, I own YuYu Hakusho. *men come in with white straight jacket* No!! How did you find me?!? *screams as she is dragged away to mental hospital*  
  
Kin: Hey. Welcome to my fic!  
  
Kashaku: *ahem*  
  
Kin: Ano, I mean OUR fic.  
  
Leiko: that's better.  
  
Kin: This is really a lot like a joint fic; I am just the one who wrote it. All three of us came up with the ideas. If you want to read some other fics, go and read YuYu Yasha by TenshiNoKoori. That fic is also kind of a joint fic.  
  
Kashaku: Each of us plays a character in this story.  
  
Leiko: Mizuna represents me.  
  
Kin: Kin represents me. Duh.  
  
Kashaku: and I'm Kashaku.  
  
Kin: So, anyway, on with the fic!  
  
Kashaku: You mean the prologue?  
  
Kin: Arrgh! Whatever!  
  
"blah" speaking  
  
'blah' thinking  
  
/blah/ conscience  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~  
  
Falling Into Fiction  
  
Prologue  
  
"Miss Raikatuji would you like to join us?"  
  
Kin snapped to attention. Her intelligent response was "huh?" She heard one of her best friends Kashaku giggle from the desk on her left.  
  
Kin bit back a sharp retort and settled for glaring and saying "hmpf." It wasn't her fault that Sarusu-sensai was so boring he could talk a rabid dog to sleep. The teacher continued to drone on about Japanese pronouns and was oblivious to the remark.  
  
As soon as the teacher turned to the board, Kin turned to her left and glared daggers at Kashaku. Kashaku, as if she could feel her stare, looked at her and grinned showing off her silver braces. She then stuck her tongue out and turned back to the board.  
  
Kin stared at her. Kashaku Hitomi was one of Kin's best friends and never ceased to surprise her with her random acts of strangeness. She was by far the strangest girl she had ever met. She was the normal Japanese girl if not a little odd. You could never tell what she was thinking or would do next.  
  
Mizuna Arishima, Kin's other best friend, wasn't in this class. In fact, she didn't have any of the same classes as Kin or Kashaku. Super smart and super sarcastic, Mizuna was the epitome of calm, logic and emotional control. Most people would consider her emotionless, aloof and cold, but in reality she was a loyal and steadfast friend. She was sixteen, a year younger than Kin and Kashaku, but she had been moved up a grade and placed in all the gifted classes as soon as she had enrolled to the boarding school.  
  
Kin was the extrovert of the group. She is what you would call "quick to anger." She never missed a chance to argue and was very stubborn, impatient, and irrational at times. She tended to jump into situations without thinking first and complain about the consequences later as well as being highly competitive. Not exactly the easiest person to get along with, but she had a good heart and was very honorable.  
  
Mizuna, Kin and Kashaku had been best friends ever since they had met. All three of them had parents that had just shipped them off to the boarding school just to get them out of the way. They were also being forced to learn Japanese from the beginning because they had been born in Japan and moved to America when they were little.  
  
They were all pretty fluent in Japanese, but Mizuna knew the most. She also knew French, Japanese slang, English, and was currently working on her Spanish.  
  
Kashaku glanced at Kin as Sarusu-sensai droned on and on about Japanese pronouns. She wondered what Kin was thinking about. Kashaku had gotten bored somewhere around the third sentence of the lesson and was currently trying hard not to fall asleep. She looked around and noticed that aside from her, Kin, and three other students, all the rest of the class was asleep.  
  
Kashaku decided that it was time to get the hell out of there. Kin turned around as she saw the signal. Kashaku grinned and watched as Kin smirked back. This would be fun.  
  
++++++  
  
Mizuna walked with her lunch out to the sakura tree to meet her friends. When she sat down and completed their circle she immediately noticed Kin's attempt at a straight face and Kashaku's wicked grin. She raised an eyebrow.  
  
"So how did you get out of class this time?"  
  
Kin smirked. "Well. did you know that Sarusu-sensai wears a toupee?" she asked. Mizuna stared at her and waited for her to continue. "Let's just say that the janitors will have a hard time scraping it off the ceiling..."  
  
Kin started snorting and Kashaku started to laugh hysterically. Mizuna couldn't help but grin and giggle along with them.  
  
That was what was good about her friends. Mizuna had been more of a loner before she had met them, but they had accepted her and treated her like a sister. They could always make her laugh and she really appreciated it. She wouldn't trade them for anything.  
  
"Ano, what is that?" Kin asked Kashaku warily.  
  
"It's my own creation," said Kashaku seriously.  
  
"I don't want to know." Mizuna said forcefully.  
  
Last time they had tried one of Kashaku's "creations" for lunch Mizuna had almost thrown up and been sick for a week even though Kin had been fine if not completely disgusted. They had both swore off Kashaku's cooking for life after that. Last time it had been some kind of mustard casserole. This time it was an indescribable green blob.  
  
After a while, talk turned towards anime. Kin, Kashaku and Mizuna were all big anime fanatics. They especially liked YuYu Hakusho.  
  
"So, did you see that episode last night?" Kin asked.  
  
"Hai, it was really good." Mizuna replied.  
  
"I wish I could handcuff myself to Kurama." Kashaku suddenly said.  
  
Mizuna raised both eyebrows. "That was random." she commented.  
  
Kin looked away from where she had been glaring at some fifth graders who were a little too cheerful in her opinion. As soon as she looked away, the fifth graders made a break for it and ran away as fast as they could.  
  
"What were we talking about?" she asked.  
  
This time it was Mizuna and Kashaku's turn to sweatdrop.  
  
Kashaku suddenly started to dance around and spout poetry about how wonderful it would be to go to the YuYu Hakusho world. Mizuna watched this with what could be considered boredom.  
  
"Did you giver her any coke?" she asked calmly.  
  
"Of course not! I'm not that stupid!" Kin replied angrily.  
  
Mizuna sweatdropped as Kashaku started to do the Macarena. "Just wondering."  
  
Kin watched in amazement as Kashaku started doing cartwheels. "I see your point."  
  
Kashaku finally calmed down enough to sit back down. She grinned and didn't look the least bit embarrassed about doing all that in front of the whole school.  
  
"You know what I wish?" she asked.  
  
They were all silent as they stared at one another. Kin was smirking, Kashaku was grinning wildly, and the corners of Mizuna's mouth were twitching.  
  
"I wish we could all go to the YuYu Hakusho world!" they all yelled at the same time.  
  
"JYNX!!"  
  
They all laughed.  
  
"I don't feel so well." Kashaku said suddenly. Just then Kin and Mizuna started to feel a little dizzy. "Me either." Mizuna said with a little bit of edge in her voice.  
  
An intense bright light suddenly surrounded them and the girls knew no more.  
  
To be continued.  
  
Kin: Okay, at least one character from YuYu Hakusho will be introduced in the first real chapter. This was just so you could get to know the three main characters before I start the fic. So don't complain! Deal with it!  
  
Kashaku: That's not very nice.  
  
Kin: So what?  
  
Leiko: You should respect your readers.  
  
Kin: Leave me alone!  
  
Leiko: Anyway, see you next chapter!  
  
Kin: Hey! That's my line!  
  
Leiko: You snooze you loose.  
  
Please review!! If you give me a nice review I'll give you a cherry Popsicle, if you give me a flame I will be forced to give you a hat made out of live, rabid chipmunks. Thanks! 


	2. Discoveries

Disclaimer: *lawyers advance with pitchforks and torches* I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho already!!!! *lawyers magically disappear* okkaaaaaaayyyy.....  
  
Kin: Welcome to today's exciting addition of Falling Into Fiction!  
  
Leiko: *continues to read very complicated-looking book on the theories of human evolution* hmm....  
  
Kashaku: *ssnnoooorreee*  
  
Kin: *sweatdrop* or maybe not THAT exciting...  
  
Kashaku: *suddenly jolts awake* Where have all the peanuts gone?!?  
  
Leiko: *raises eyebrow*  
  
Kin: What interesting friends I have. *ahem* Anyway, on with the fic!  
  
"blah" speaking 'blah' thinking /blah/ conscience  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~  
  
Falling Into Fiction  
  
Chapter 1: Discoveries  
  
Kin opened her eyes and instantly closed them. Light seemed to be shining right in her face. "Shut off the damn light." She grumbled.  
  
"I can't exactly shut off the sun you know." She heard Mizuna say sarcastically.  
  
She opened her eyes completely this time and immediately stared. "Wh-where are we?!?" They seemed to be in an arena of some kind with seats surrounding them in a circle all around. It looked suspiciously like the arena in the spirit world from YuYu Hakusho where the dark tournament had been held.  
  
She looked at Mizuna and her eyes widened further. "And what the hell happened to you?!?"  
  
Mizuna seemed to have had a change of wardrobe. She had on an ankle length sapphire skirt with a slit that went up to mid-thigh on her right side. Her shirt was the same color as the skirt and had only one sleeve that was long and loose at the end in a medieval style. The shirt cut off at the stomach on the left side and went down to the waist on the other and a wavy silver armlet could be seen on the arm with no sleeve. She had on a loose brown leather belt that was draped over her right hip with two fans tied to it with a silver silk ribbon.  
  
If this wasn't enough, her eyes were sapphire blue and her hair was a royal blue down past her waist. Her bangs went down to her eyebrows and had two thick strands framing her face. Her ears were pointed and she wore two dark blue silk slippers on her feet.  
  
Mizuna was currently tying her long, straight hair up in a high ponytail. "Well, take a look at yourself." She said calmly as she pointed Kin over to puddle of water on the ground a few feet away.  
  
As Kin headed over towards the puddle she realized that she could smell everything. She could smell the scent of old blood from a battle she assumed had happened in the arena, a forest, the sweet scent of jasmine and water lilies that she assumed was Mizuna, and even the chocolaty scent with a hint of cinnamon that was Kashaku.  
  
She could also hear everything; the sound of soft breathing from Mizunas direction, the sigh of the wind, and also the sound of the slow breathing of someone unconscious or asleep. 'It must be Ka-chan.' she reasoned. She decided to take a look at herself and then go and help Kashaku. She brushed her annoying, long bangs out of her eyes and looked into the water.  
  
As soon as she looked into the water at her reflection, all thoughts of helping Kashaku were banished with the sight of herself. She was dressed in a long, loose white dress that was down to her ankles and had slits on either side to a little above mid-thigh. It had no sleeves, and a low V- neck. A gold sash could be seen tied around her waist as well as a gold armlet with jagged ends like lightning on her arm. A lot of golden bangles were on each wrist and ankle.  
  
She now had gold eyes and long, straight almost knee-length gold hair that was even longer than Mizuna's. No, not blond, not yellow, but gold. But the most striking things were her claws, fluffy golden fox tail and the small, gold furry fox ears on her head. When a noise came from over in what she guessed was Kashaku's direction her ears seemed to twitch and rotate in that direction. Her feet were bare, but the rough ground didn't seem to hurt them at all.  
  
She wanted to scream and panic, but this all seemed strangely right. Like she was meant to be in this body. She decided to just accept it and move on. She thought that she looked suspiciously like a fox demon and wondered if she could slash things with her claws, jump very high, or run super fast.  
  
Meanwhile, Kashaku was starting to stir. She put her hand on her eyes and slowly opened them, letting them adjust. She took in her surroundings cautiously. 'Wow.' She gripped her staff and used it to lever herself up to a standing position. Wait a second.... What staff?  
  
Mizuna calmly walked over to help Kashaku. She had been the first to wake up and was now pretty used to the fact that yes, she and Kin were demons and yes, they were in the Yu Yu Hakusho world. She had deliberated for a while before coming up with that conclusion. It was the most logical answer considering what they had all shouted out before the bright light had appeared.  
  
Her increased sense of smell and hearing had been very interesting. She could smell a forest somewhere, the spicy chocolate and cinnamon smell of Kashaku, and the wild yet delicate scent of Kin who smelled of thunderstorms with an underlying scent of apple blossoms.  
  
Mizuna assumed that Kin's speed, smell and hearing would be better considering that she was a fox demon, but she also concluded that she herself had more magic. She could sense it. She had been experimenting and had discovered that she was a water demon. All she had to do was visualize a shield and immediately a wall of water had appeared.  
  
Looking at Kashaku she also concluded that Kin was the physical strength of the group, she was the tactical, defensive magic one, and Kashaku was most likely good with offensive magic considering she was a ningen sorceress from her scent. She wondered what Kashaku and Kin were capable of.  
  
Kashaku suddenly stood up, shaking her from her musings. "Cool, I have a staff!"  
  
Mizuna sweatdropped. Now that wasn't what she had been expecting. She took in Kashaku's appearance.  
  
Kashaku was wearing a long, tight black dress that ended at her ankles with two slits up the sides to a little above mid-thigh like Kin's. It had no sleeves and a light blue sash was tied around her waist. A silver armlet in the form of a snake was winding around her arm and she wore light blue slippers that matched her sash. She still had her braces, but the rubber bands were now black.  
  
Her hair was a straight and a dark red that went down to her waist. Her bangs were cut perfectly straight and ended exactly at her eyebrows, while her eyes were bright yellow like a cats eyes. She seemed to be holding what looked like a long staff made of silver metal with a black blade on top. The pole was up to her chin while the long, sharp black blade slightly curved high above her head.  
  
Kin walked over and stared at Kashaku for a while and Kashaku stared at both Kin and Mizuna. "Well, try to do magic." Mizuna said with a little impatience in her voice.  
  
Kashaku just grinned and willed something to happen. When a burst of fire shot out of her staff and broke through the wall of the arena she looked just as surprised as Kin and Mizuna. "Okay, now you." Mizuna said to Kin.  
  
Kin shrugged and charged at the wall. She brought up her claws and slashed at it. Streaks of lightning seemed to come out of the tips of her claws and smash into the wall making it explode. They all stared at the crater in the wall.  
  
"Okay, so. Kin-chan, just as I thought you are the physical strength of the group. You also have the best sense of smell and hearing." Kin grinned showing sharp fangs. "Kashaku, you're the offensive magic of the team and I'm the defensive and tactical member." Kashaku just cocked her head and listened attentively.  
  
Mizuna continued. "I'm a water demon, Kin-chan is a fox demon that controls lightning, and Ka-chan is a ningen fire sorceress. We are currently in the Yu Yu Hakusho world for a reason that we don't yet know and it would be best to head out and look for someone so we can ask questions about our purpose."  
  
"Kin-chan has her claws, Ka-chan has her scythe, and I have my fans." Mizuna pulled out the two silver fans from her belt. She flicked them open expertly with her wrists and watched as Kin and Kashaku looked up and down the sharp metal blades they were constructed of. The fans looked ordinary enough, with dark blue silk stretched between the metal. The only difference was the nasty-looking blades at he ends of the spokes.  
  
She tied them back to her belt and turned toward them. "So, now that I figured everything out, what should we do?"  
  
She looked toward them for suggestions. Kashaku wasn't looking the least bit interested. She was too busy staring at Kin's ears and thinking about how much they looked like Kurama's, and Kin wasn't the least bit grateful considering what she said next.  
  
Kin glared at her. "I was going to say that."  
  
Mizuna rolled her eyes and said sarcastically, "Sure you were."  
  
"I was!" Kin said sulkily.  
  
Meanwhile Kashaku was creeping up behind Kin. All of a sudden she jumped up and grabbed her ears. "How KAWAII!!" she shrieked loudly, making Kin and Mizuna wince.  
  
"Stop that!" Kin yelled and glared at Kashaku when she tried to grab her tail.  
  
Kashaku didn't seem fazed at all. She stopped trying to grab Kin's tail and looked serious for once. "I think we'll have to discover the rest of our powers as we go along. I have a feeling that we aren't going back to our world any time soon. We should leave here and try to find Koenma. He'll know what's up." She said wisely.  
  
Kin and Mizuna stared at her for a second, awed by her seriousness and wisdom. But the moment was ruined when Kashaku pointed to the sky and said, "Hey! That cloud looks like Kurama!"  
  
"I think she's right about the Koenma thing." Mizuna said.  
  
Kin glared and then pouted. "hmpf."  
  
++++++  
  
"Oitsukareta." Kashaku complained for what seemed the millionth time.  
  
Mizuna sighed and rubbed her temples. Ever since Kin had decided to scout ahead, she had been left alone with the complaining Kashaku. Usually she could endure Kashaku's complaining, but they had been walking for what seemed like hours with Kin periodically checking up on them. She assumed Kashaku's feet must hurt. Her feet and Kin's were fine probably because they were demons.  
  
Just then, she caught the sound of voices from up ahead. "Do you hear that?" she asked Kashaku as the voices became louder.  
  
"Nope." Kashaku replied cheerfully.  
  
Mizuna gave her an annoyed look. The voices seemed to be getting closer the further ahead they went. Suddenly realization struck.  
  
"Let's hurry. Kin might be in trouble." Mizuna said calmly.  
  
Kashaku immediately gripped her scythe harder and adopted a serious face. She nodded and the two sped up. They didn't want to waste any time.  
  
The farther they went the louder the voices got. Soon even Kashaku could hear them. It seemed to be two people yelling at each other. Mizuna sighed. It was probably Kin and some innocent bystander. But they couldn't take any chances.  
  
Kashaku and Mizuna burst out of the trees, took one look at the scene before them, and gaped. Well, actually Kashaku gaped, Mizuna's eyes just widened in surprise. 'Oh. My. God. We really ARE in the Yu Yu Hakusho world!'  
  
Two figures were standing with faces so close they were almost touching, yelling their heads off and screaming insults at the other. One had long, almost knee-length golden hair, a tail, and fox ears while the other was wearing a green boys school uniform and had black, slicked hair.  
  
"YOU STUPID JERK! I COULD RIP YOUR HEAD OFF ANY TIME I WANTED TOO!" Kin shouted, her face red with anger.  
  
"I'D LIKE TO SEE YOU TRY, YOU STUPID BITCH!" Yusuke yelled right back.  
  
Kin held up her claws and lightning crackled around them racing over her skin. Yusuke looked a little surprised but quickly got his finger ready to fire the spirit gun when all of a sudden...  
  
"Stop it right now." Mizuna's calm voice rang out over them all.  
  
Yusuke lowered his finger and Kin turned around to look at her. "Mizuna!" she said. "Finally! Tell this baka that I could take him on any day!"  
  
"You're Yusuke Urameshi?" Kashaku asked.  
  
Yusuke looked at her oddly. "Yeah... that's me." He said warily.  
  
Kashaku suddenly started to poke him. "You're REAL." She said with awe.  
  
"What the HELL?!? Who are you people?!?" Yusuke demanded as Kashaku continued to poke him and stare at him wonderingly.  
  
Mizuna looked at him like he had just asked a very stupid question. "I'm Mizuna, the ningen sorceress is Kashaku, and the one you were yelling at is Kin."  
  
Kin glared and started to pout. "He started it! I was scouting ahead and I suddenly came across him." She pointed at Yusuke. "Then when I attempted to make polite conversation, this baka started to insult me!"  
  
"You liar! I only asked if your ears were real!" Yusuke shouted indignantly.  
  
Mizuna raised an eyebrow. "Is this true?" she asked Kin.  
  
A sulky "hmpf" was all she got for an answer.  
  
All three girls stared at Yusuke. It was just starting to make him a little nervous when Kashaku broke the silence.  
  
"So where's Kurama?" she asked.  
  
Yusuke gave her another odd look. "How do you know Kurama?" he asked suspiciously.  
  
Kashaku grinned. "He's not the only person on your team that we know. We also know you, Hiei, Jin, Touya and Kuwabara as well as everyone else you've ever met." She said.  
  
Yusuke narrowed his eyes. "I've never met you before. How do you know me?"  
  
Mizuna decided it was time for an explanation. "Let's go sit down under that tree and I'll explain everything."  
  
They walked over to a tall pine tree and sat under it. Kin jumped up into the tree, crossed her arms, and continued to sulk.  
  
"Well you see..." Mizuna started.  
  
She explained how in their world Yu Yu Hakusho was just a television show, how they had wished to go there, and how they had been mysteriously transported here. She explained that they had woken up not as average teenage girls, but as a ningen fire sorceress, a water demon, and a fox demon. She then went on to explain that they were currently on their way to find Koenma and demand some answers.  
  
Yusuke looked pretty surprised. "Well I guess I could take you to see him. We just won the Dark Tournament, and he's still hanging around." He offered. He seemed to have gotten over his fight with Kin and was now acting relatively friendly.  
  
"We want to meet the rest of the gang!" Kashaku said excitedly. Kin looked eager as well, and even Mizuna looked a tiny bit excited.  
  
"I guess you could." Yusuke said easily.  
  
"Yay!!" Kashaku practically screamed.  
  
Mizuna and Kin winced and covered their sensitive ears. Mizuna pitied Kin. If her ears were ringing, Kin's must be twice as bad.  
  
"I'm so excited!!" Kashaku then began to jump around and ask twenty questions a second. Neither Kin, Mizuna, nor Yusuke could understand a word she was saying.  
  
"Is she always like this?" Yusuke asked.  
  
"Yep, pretty much." Kin replied and jumped down from the tree.  
  
All three of them sweatdropped and watched Kashaku run around in circles while tripping over her staff every few seconds.  
  
"I pity Kurama..." Mizuna said.  
  
"Come on, everyone's back at the hotel." Yusuke said, walking off.  
  
"Well, let's go." Kin said huffily.  
  
The three girls followed Yusuke at a distance.  
  
"Can you believe that we're actually in the Yu Yu Hakusho world?!?" Kashaku asked excitedly. "We're even going to meet the rest of the gang!"  
  
"I have a feeling that this is going to turn into one long adventure." Mizuna said quietly.  
  
Kin nodded. "I don't want to go back. It's not like our parents would miss us anyway." They all agreed and decided that they would try to stay here as long as possible.  
  
"We should ask Koenma what this is all about, but we'll stay here for as long as we're able." Mizuna said logically.  
  
They all nodded and continued to whisper about what they should do now that they were finally here.  
  
Yusuke glanced back at the three girls. He had to admit they were all pretty hot and if he didn't already have a girlfriend he would definantly ask one of them out. They were also remarkably at ease in this world. They didn't seem to be afraid or even nervous about their changed appearances either. They looked like they had been born that way. I mean, suddenly discovering you were a demon or sorceress would certainly scare most people.  
  
If it had been him, he would probably be at least nervous. He wondered what they were doing here. He hoped they would stay. No new cases had come in while they were resting from the tournament, and everyone was pretty bored.  
  
Jin and Touya had joined the group after the tournament, and he wondered if these girls would be joining them for a long time too. He certainly hoped so. Maybe they could liven the team up a bit. Maybe if he were lucky, that Kin girl would beat up Kuwabara when he tried to hit on her. He smirked. It would be very amusing to see Mr. Honor Code beat up by a girl.  
  
They reached the hotel that had been given to the team for the tournament. "Wow! It looks just like on the show!" Kashaku said enthusiastically.  
  
Kin just crossed her arms and "hmpf"ed while Mizuna looked on calmly.  
  
A few demons were loitering in front of the building and whistled when the girls walked by. Kin turned around and glared at them before growling and flashing her fangs. The demons quickly dispersed to do various "errands."  
  
Kin smirked in satisfaction. "Being a fox demon does have its perks." She commented.  
  
"Yeah, you don't need to glare at the fifth graders to scare them now. All you have to do is smile." Mizuna said sarcastically.  
  
Kin glared at her and then switched to Yusuke when he started to snicker. "You glared at fifth graders just to scare them? What'd they ever do to you?" He asked.  
  
"Hey! They were acting too happy!" Kin defended herself.  
  
Yusuke just started to snicker again.  
  
"Hmpf." Kin said and crossed her arms grumpily.  
  
"Well, anyway." Mizuna said. "I think we need to focus more on finding out why we're here."  
  
Kashaku was busy prancing around with her staff, Kin was busy being sulky, and Yusuke was busy laughing at Kin's expense.  
  
"Am I talking to myself here?" Mizuna asked annoyed.  
  
No one answered proving her point.  
  
After one cramped elevator ride in which Kashaku insisted on dancing to the annoying elevator music, Yusuke led them to the door of what seemed to be a normal hotel room.  
  
"We should see what the toddler has to say and then you can meet the team." He decided.  
  
The three girls stood and waited patiently.  
  
"What?" Yusuke asked.  
  
"Aren't you going to go in first and introduce us?" Mizuna asked while raising an eyebrow.  
  
"Oh, yeah." He said sheepishly.  
  
"Hey toddler! Some girls from another world are here to see ya!" he said.  
  
Mizuna rolled her eyes.  
  
The three girls entered the hotel room not knowing what to expect. They were surprised when they entered the room and realized that it was an office, not a hotel room. There was a large desk the middle of the floor with a tall chair facing in the other direction on the opposite side. An ogre demon was standing next to the desk pleading with the person in the chair to please sign some important papers.  
  
When Yusuke "introduced" them, the person turned around in the chair. They all stared at the empty space in the chair, and then as one looked down at the toddler sitting in it.  
  
"Well? I don't have all day you know!" Koenma said. "I have important matters to attend to." At these words the ogre demon seemed to give an exasperated sigh.  
  
As soon as Kashaku got over the momentary shock of seeing Koenma in the flesh, she rushed over and started to poke him like she had Yusuke. A vein seemed to pop out on Koenma's head and Kashaku quickly stepped back to stand behind Kin and look over her shoulder.  
  
"Ahem." Mizuna said.  
  
Koenma turned his attention towards her and she began to tell him what had happened. While she was speaking, Koenma pulled out a bowl of rice from a desk drawer and began to eat while he listened.  
  
When she was done, Koenma put down his rice and looked over the three of them.  
  
"Hm... fire, water and lightning." He said thoughtfully.  
  
Kin crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him impatiently. "So do you know how we got here and why?"  
  
A lightbulb flashed over Koenma's head. "Ah! I remember now! It seems like the guardians of fire, water and lightning are finally ready to accept their positions as protectors."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Yusuke asked impatiently.  
  
"I'm getting there!" Koenma said irritably. "Anyway, like I was saying."  
  
"There are three pendants in the Spirit World that are of great power; they are the pendants of fire, water, and lightning. One person each guards the three pendants. Guardians are especially chosen to protect the pendant best suited to them."  
  
Kin looked like she was about to interrupt, but Koenma kept going and ignored her.  
  
"You three are those guardians. The last guardians are still in possession of the pendants, but their time of service is nearly over. You three were selected as children by the pendants to be the new guardians but you were too young to take on the responsibility, so you were sent to a pocket in reality and cloaked in fake illusion forms to be protected until you were old enough. You're old memories should return over time."  
  
"You must go on a journey in Spirit World to find each guardian and defeat them in battle to earn your right to protect your pendant. Once you receive your pendant, you must protect it until your death. It is important that you start your journey immediately, because as time goes by the old guardians grow weaker and there is a greater chance that a demon will be able to steal the pendants and use their immense power to travel to the ningen world and wreak havoc." He paused. "Plus, my dad would kill me!" he finished.  
  
Kin and Yusuke both looked shocked, Mizuna looked contemplative, and Kashaku looked happy as always.  
  
"So, everything was fake?" Mizuna asked incredulously. She couldn't stop the tiny feelings of anger that were growing inside her. They expected them to just give up their freedom just like that? But, it was her duty, and she felt she had to accept it or live with the feelings of guilt that would build in her mind over the people who would most likely die from the attack of a demon with such power.  
  
Koenma nodded. "That was just a temporary pocket in reality formed of illusion space and time. The previous guardians created it to protect you until you came of age."  
  
Kin "hmpf"ed. "I knew that it was kind of weird that everyone was so distant and unfocused except for us." She said.  
  
"So, will you take this responsibility?" Koenma asked.  
  
It was pretty shocking to find out that their world had just been an illusion and that the anime that they loved so much was actually their real home. Not to mention the fact that they were now expected to become guardians of some kind of magical pendants and never go back to the world they once knew. The three girls looked at each other speculatively and silently agreed that they would accept this information.  
  
They nodded their heads. "Yes." They said in unison.  
  
"Good." He pointed at Mizuna. "You are the guardian of water and stand for wisdom and intelligence." Mizuna looked rather pleased at this information.  
  
He pointed at Kashaku. "You are the guardian of fire and stand for friendship and love." Kashaku grinned and twirled around once with her staff.  
  
Koenma turned to Kin. "And finally, you are the guardian of lightning and stand for courage and strength." Kin looked proudly around the room.  
  
"Together you must find the guardians and take the pendants. Many demons will try to kill you and take the pendants for themselves, but you have many powers yet to be discovered and should be fine."  
  
Yusuke spoke up for the first time in a while. "The team could go with them and help them out on their quest. It's not like any new cases have come up recently." He looked annoyed. "I don't think my mom will miss me, and I can probably convince Keiko to tell everyone that I'm on a trip or something."  
  
Koenma looked at Yusuke and slowly nodded his head. "Yes that would probably be best." He seemed to think for a second. "You should take these three to meet the team and then go to the ningen world to get provisions for the trip for it will most likely be a long one. Botan will give you a device to travel between here, the demon world, and the ningen world instantly before you leave."  
  
Yusuke nodded. "Good idea. That way we can be prepared for the journey."  
  
Kashaku looked ecstatic. "Yay! We're going on a trip! We're going on a trip! We're going on a trip!" she started to jump up and down.  
  
Mizuna bowed to Koenma. "Thank you for your help. We accept this as our new duty and will depart soon."  
  
Koenma nodded and turned back around in his chair while eating another bowl of rice, ignoring the ogre demon that was still insistently pushing a tall stack of papers at him.  
  
Yusuke and the girls walked out of the office and closed the door. The three girls were still pretty shocked about the information that had been presented to them.  
  
"How about we go meet the team and then tomorrow morning we'll go to my house. We can rent another hotel room for you three to stay in for tonight." Yusuke suggested.  
  
Mizuna nodded, Kin said her famous "hmph," and Kashaku started to sing a song that she was making up on the spot about Kurama.  
  
"I'll take that as a yes..." he said.  
  
Tsuzuku...  
  
Kin: So? How was it? I would love to get some pictures of the characters! In case you didn't know, this is my first fic so I need all the help I can get.  
  
Kashaku: I'll say.  
  
Kin: Shut up!  
  
Kashaku: * sticks out tongue * No!  
  
Kin: Why you little... * starts to chase TNK around with giant rubber chicken *  
  
Leiko: *sigh* Well, we'll see you next chapter!  
  
Kin: Get back here!  
  
Kashaku: *laughs maniacally* NEVER!!!  
  
Review Responses:  
  
DRUKEN-IRISH-SMURF: Thanks for reviewing! You were my first review ever and I really appreciate it! About you're question, do you mean am I really like Kin in real life? Or do you mean do I go to boarding school in real life? Well I'll answer both. No, I don't go to a boarding school in real life; I go to a private school, but next year I'm going to high school at Magnet. Now, to answer the other aspect of your question; Kin is me. That is exactly how I act under normal circumstances. I am very pushy, irritable, opinionated and argumentative. Kashaku and Mizuna are my friends from school and are just like I portrayed them in the fic. If I interpreted your question wrong, be sure to send me another review explaining further. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
Blood Circuit: Yep, I know.  
  
SukiYumi: YES. Post your stories right away!!!  
  
Tenshi No Koori: Magic? Pah! I'm the magic one. Anyway, thanks for the encouragement Ka-chan!  
  
Please Review!! If you send me a nice review I'll give you a cupcake, if you send me a flame I will be forced to give you the month-old takeout that is living in the back of my refrigerator. Thanks! 


	3. Meetings

Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho is mine!! All mine!! *lawyers beat Kin with briefcases* Noo!!! The pain!! All right already! I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho! *lawyers all nod at the same time and magically disappear* Lawyers are weird... *briefcase smacks Kin in the face* OW!!  
  
Kin: Okay! There is major Kuwabara bashing and some of the characters may be a little OOC, but hey, that's life! So, anyway, the moment you've all been waiting for! Kashaku finally gets to meet Kurama! What will she do? Will Kurama survive? Keep reading and find out!  
  
Kashaku: You sound like a car salesman.  
  
Kin: *glares*  
  
Leiko: Play nice children.  
  
Kashaku: Why?  
  
Leiko: Because I said so.  
  
Kashaku: Why?  
  
Leiko: Because that's how life is.  
  
Kashaku: Why?  
  
Kin: Just shut up already!!  
  
Kashaku: Touchy, touchy. *grins* Okay, on with the fic!  
  
"blah" speaking  
  
'blah' thinking  
  
/blah/ conscience  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~  
  
Falling Into Fiction  
  
Chapter 2: Meetings  
  
Yusuke stepped into the hotel room; Touya was leaning against the wall while Jin talked to him incessantly in his fast accent, Hiei was sitting in the window ignoring everyone else, Kurama was reading on the couch, and Kuwabara was staring stupidly as Yusuke stepped in the door.  
  
"We've got a case!" Yusuke practically shouted.  
  
Touya just looked at him blankly as if asking him "well, what is it?" Jin stopped talking and looked at him expectantly, Hiei didn't do anything except mutter "hn," Kurama looked up from his book interested, and Kuwabara continued to stare stupidly.  
  
Kin, Kashaku and Mizuna filed into the room as Yusuke began to speak.  
  
"This is Mizuna Arishima."  
  
Mizuna nodded and looked around at the team expressionlessly. Inside she was thinking 'Oh my god! It's really the Spirit Detectives, and man, Hiei is even cuter than on television- I DID NOT JUST THINK THAT.' She continued to look calmly around the room and show no expression.  
  
"This is Kin Raikatuji."  
  
Kin looked around the room and "hmpf"ed while crossing her arms over her chest. Jin looked at her interested and she glared at him. Inside she was thinking 'It's the Spirit Detectives!! Oh my god!! Jin is so cute... I DID NOT THINK THAT!' she mentally kicked herself and glared twice as hard at Jin.  
  
"And this is Kashaku Hitomi." Yusuke finished.  
  
Kashaku ran over to Kurama and latched onto his arm with hearts for eyes. "You're real!" she said while poking him multiple times. "You're my boyfriend." She said.  
  
Mizuna rolled her eyes and Kin just snickered.  
  
"I'm sorry but I already have a girlfriend..." Kurama said uncomfortably.  
  
Kashaku pouted when she heard this and quickly ran over to Touya, latched onto his arm and started to poke him instead. "YOU'RE my boyfriend."  
  
He looked at her strangely. "I'm taken too..." he said in an cold voice while attempting to pry her off and make her to leave him alone or go bug someone else.  
  
"No your not." said Kashaku.  
  
"Yes I am." He said in one last futile attempt to make her go away.  
  
"I've seen all the episodes. You don't have a girlfriend." She said. She paused. "Don't worry, I still want my Kurama, I'm just waiting for him to come to his senses and admit his undying love for me." She stated dreamily. Kurama stared at her and wondered how he was supposed to be in love with a girl he had just met.  
  
Meanwhile, Mizuna and Hiei were watching a very red Kin yell at Jin and call him a hentai several million times after he had attempted to feel her up saying his hand had "slipped." A red handprint was visible on Jin's right cheek, and Kin's ears and tail were all twitching.  
  
"I swear I just slipped." Jin said innocently.  
  
"The hell you did!" Kin yelled.  
  
She was just fixing to slap him again when Kuwabara suddenly popped up between them and grabbed Kin's hands. "Will you be my girlfriend pretty lady?" he asked with hearts for eyes.  
  
Kin, already in a murderous mood, glared at him, punched him in the face and watched him crash into the wall. "I think I'm in love." He said before sliding down the wall and then falling unconscious.  
  
"Did I do something to piss off God or do I just attract hentai?" Kin asked Mizuna.  
  
Mizuna just shrugged and looked at the unconscious Kuwabara disgustedly. "I'm glad it's not me he's going to continue hitting on." She said calmly.  
  
"I'm not a hentai." Jin said with a charming smile. "You're just too beautiful for me to resist."  
  
Kin seemed to turn ten more shades redder. 'His accent is so cute. Why do all the cute ones have to be hentai?' she wondered. 'Well, maybe not ALL the cute ones.' She thought after looking over at Kuwabara's unconscious form. She looked back at the innocently smiling Jin who was stealthily inching closer to her. 'The day me and this hentai get together is the day of the apocalypse.'  
  
Hiei watched all this with amusement, especially when the fox demon decked Kuwabara. None of the other girls had let him down quite like that. And he had never seen Jin take to someone that quick, he wasn't normally a hentai. 'At least that Mizuna girl isn't as annoying as the rest. That's some relief.' He looked over at Mizuna. 'And she's rather pretty too-WHAT THE HELL? NO SHE IS NOT.' Not so amazingly, none of these thoughts showed on his face or in his actions.  
  
"WOULD ALL OF YOU JUST SHUT THE HELL UP?!?" Yusuke shouted. It seemed that his wish to liven up the team had come true.  
  
Everyone stopped and stared at him. "Ahem." He said nervously. "The girls are going to spend the night at the hotel tonight... no not in the same room." He said and rolled his eyes as he noticed Jin's grin. "Anyway, it's late and they must be tired so they can go to their room and I'll tell you guys about the case."  
  
Kin was about to say she wasn't tired, but shut up when she realized it would put a wall in between her and "Kuwabaka" as she had taken to calling him. She didn't want to be anywhere near that baka. He was very ugly and stupid as well and being annoying. She could see him starting to stir and quickly stepped behind Jin, Mizuna and Hiei out of his sight.  
  
Kashaku was hanging on an annoyed Touya's arm and pestering him with questions about being an ice demon while Kurama watched with amusement. When she heard Yusuke's announcement, she grinned and said dramatically "Parting is such sweet sorrow." Touya just stared at her as she twirled her staff and skipped over to where Kin was hiding behind Mizuna.  
  
Mizuna watched everything going on with amusement. Kin and Kashaku seemed so at home in this world. Kashaku looked so cute with Touya! Fire and Ice, pretty ironic huh? She could tell Kin liked Jin even with his hentai ways, and Jin liked her judging from the way he was glaring at Kuwabara's twitching form. They were just so kawaii!!! She looked over at Hiei. 'We would NOT make a good couple. I don't even like him a little bit! It could never happen.' She assured herself.  
  
"Please be my girlfriend beautiful lady! I must confess my undying love!" Kuwabara said while attempting to get past Jin and grab Kin's hands. A vein seemed to pop out on Kin's head and she stepped out from behind the others.  
  
Before Kuwabara could grab her hands, she punched his already disfigured face again and watched him fall unconscious as before. "Well, what are you looking at?!?" she yelled. Everyone immediately looked away at the same time.  
  
"Anyway, like I was saying." Yusuke continued after the moment of silence. "Here's the key to your room. It's just down the hall, number 226." He handed the room key to Mizuna.  
  
Mizuna raised her eyebrow. "Are we expected to sleep in our clothes?"  
  
Yusuke glared at her and mumbled something about difficult women that never shut up. When Kin glared at him, growled, and bared her fangs he hurriedly went into an adjoining room saying he was going to let them borrow some of his T-shirts.  
  
Kin continued to glare at the doorway he had gone through.  
  
"I always did like the feisty ones." Jin said cheerfully.  
  
Kin blushed, glared, and smacked him on the head in that order. "Hentai!"  
  
Jin didn't seem fazed at all. In fact, he draped his arm on one of Kin's shoulders and leaned on her. If one looked closely they would see smoke coming out of Kin's ears, but before she could slap him and yell hentai, Yusuke came back into the room with three T-shirts.  
  
"Here! Is there anything ELSE you want?" Yusuke asked grumpily.  
  
"No, this will do fine." Mizuna said calmly. She took the three large T- shirts and calmly walked out the door to go and locate the girls' room.  
  
Kashaku skipped after her while singing something that sounded suspiciously like a Kurama love ballad. Everyone sweatdropped and watched the obliviously singing Kashaku skip out of the room. Kurama was fervently hoping that she would get over him soon, and Touya was wondering where the hell she came from.  
  
Kin, who was by now pretty annoyed, hit Jin on the head and jerked away from him. She glared around the room with her arms crossed over her chest, and was suddenly gone in a jingle of bracelets and a swirl of golden hair.  
  
"I wouldn't want to get on HER bad side." Yusuke said. The rest of the team nodded solemnly and glanced over at the still twitching Kuwabara.  
  
"I wouldn't mind." Jin said with a grin. The Spirit Detectives sweatdropped and were all glad that they couldn't hear what Jin was thinking.  
  
"So, what is this new case and what does it have to do with those girls?" Touya asked.  
  
Yusuke cleared his throat and began the explanation.  
  
++++++  
  
"I can't wait until we get out of this hotel." Kin said grouchily as she pulled the long, almost knee-length green T-shirt over her head.  
  
"We will probably be going to the ningenkai tomorrow," replied Mizuna.  
  
Kin just hmpfed and pulled the covers back on the bed she would be sleeping in. She could hear the even, deep breathing of sleep from the lump under the covers in the bed to the left of hers and realized it was Kashaku from the staff leaning on the wall. Mizuna was in bed as well but her covers were far neater and straighter than Kashaku's. She was in the bed on the left of Kin and was closest to the door.  
  
The room was pretty much the same as the boys' room with a connecting bathroom and drab white walls. The three beds were against the far wall, and a small barred window let in little fragments of moonlight to shine down like splinters on the gray-carpeted floor. The decorator had obviously had prison on his mind when he had designed this.  
  
Mizuna reached out and turned the lamp off on the bedside table next to her when she heard Kin settle into her bed. The room was immediately darkened and the pale fragments of moonlight on the carpet grew more defined.  
  
"So, I guess we're finally home." Kin whispered with a strange lack of enthusiasm.  
  
Mizuna sighed. It was all too fast, everything they had ever known was a lie. They were all just expected to adapt to this world and fit right in. Mizuna couldn't help but feel a little resentment towards the guardians who had stowed them away for future use. How could anyone be expected to just accept the fact that their entire life was a lie? How could they risk their life to protect a world that they had never known?  
  
"Yes." was all that escaped her lips. She could here Kin's frustrated sigh and almost smiled. At least she still had her friends to depend on.  
  
"Well, I don't like it one bit. This is all too fast. How am I supposed to just accept the fact that my life was a lie? I can't just get over that in one minute and proceed with some stupid quest to save the world or something." Kin said angrily.  
  
"Hush. You will wake Kashaku." Mizuna said calmly.  
  
"Hmpf." was all Kin said as she turned on her side facing away from Mizuna and began to count sheep in her head.  
  
"Look, Kin-chan, I know how you feel but we must do our duty. The previous guardians only did what they thought was right in sealing us away for our protection."  
  
"I will never forgive them. We were sealed away in a total lie, and are now expected to spend the whole rest of our lives burdened with the responsibility of guarding some stupid rocks. All for the protection of the people in a world we have never known because we were put on hold until we were ready to give up our freedom."  
  
Mizuna smiled wryly. Kin had hit the nail on the head. Indeed, why should they give up their freedom for the sake of the safety of a world they didn't even know? They had grown up in an illusion, nothing more and she felt no feelings of gratitude towards the people who had allowed this to happen.  
  
"I suppose it's okay though." She heard Kin say. She turned to look over at Kin with a question in her eyes.  
  
"I will never turn away from a person in need." Kin said seriously without turning over.  
  
"You say it's like we are giving up our freedom." They were surprised when they heard the voice of Kashaku ring out over the silence that had ensued Kin's statement.  
  
"We should feel glad that we are finally home. Did you ever wonder why everyone seemed so distant and blank in the illusion we lived in? I really feel like I belong here and that we are doing the right thing. We should feel honored that we are being entrusted with such power; it's not the burden you make it out to be. This world, or should I say OUR world, is familiar and warm. I can almost remember living here at one time and I would gladly accept the responsibility if only to protect it."  
  
Mizuna and Kin were surprised, but her words rang true. They both smiled and released their doubts. Sometimes Kashaku really surprised them with her wisdom and truth. However, her heartfelt words were lessened when they heard a loud snore come from the lump under the covers of her bed. They both sweatdropped; some things never change.  
  
"I'm glad that we're here." Kin said hesitantly.  
  
Mizuna smiled to herself. "Me too, Kin-chan, me too."  
  
They both fell asleep with doubt-free minds and smiles on their faces. They didn't notice the dark shadow that separated from the rest and darted off somewhere into the night.  
  
++++++  
  
"They are back?"  
  
"Yes milord."  
  
"All three?"  
  
"Yes milord. The golden-haired kitsune with eyes like the sun, the flame- haired sorceress with a black-bladed scythe, and the cold, calculating demoness of water."  
  
"Good...good."  
  
The large, dark throne was cloaked in shadows, but a vague figure was just discernable seated in the tall-backed chair. Torches cast flickering light in a feeble attempt to chase the dominating shadows away into the corners of the room and brighten the cold gray of the stone walls. No windows were visible, and there was no furniture in the vast room aside from the tall chair only just visible in the torchlight.  
  
"Shall we strike tonight milord?"  
  
"No. We must be patient. We will wait until they begin the search for the first pendant."  
  
"As you wish milord." The kneeling figure stood and bowed before fluidly walking out of the throne room with the grace only a feline could master. The ironclad door slammed on the way out and quiet steps could be heard stealthily going down the hall.  
  
"Soon the pendants will be mine."  
  
To be continued...  
  
Kin: Oh yeah. I'm good.  
  
Leiko: Suuuuuurree you are. Just keep telling yourself that.  
  
Kin: *glares* Fine. I will.  
  
Kashaku: How come I didn't get to kiss Kurama in this chapter?  
  
Kin: Because I don't like you.  
  
Kashaku: *gets teary-eyed* you're so cruel!!  
  
Kin: *laughs maniacally* yep! I sure am!  
  
Leiko: *rolls eyes* here have some peanuts. *tosses bag of peanuts to Kin and Kashaku who begin to catfight over who gets to eat them*  
  
Kin: Give them to me!! I deserve peanuts after all the work I did typing up this chapter!! Gimee!!  
  
Kashaku: NEVER!! The peanuts are all mine!! *grabs peanuts and runs around in circles being chased by Kin*  
  
Leiko: *shakes head* sometimes they can be so juvenile. Anyway, how was the chapter? Did you like it?  
  
Kin: Give me those peanuts!!  
  
Kashaku: You don't even like peanuts!!  
  
Kin: *stops and thinks for a second* oh yeah...  
  
Leiko: *raises eyebrow* you learn something new everyday.  
  
Kin: *glares* are you making fun of me?  
  
Leiko: what do you think?  
  
Kashaku: *stuffing her face with peanuts* that means yes.  
  
Kin: They're all against me!!  
  
Leiko: Riiiiiiight. Anyway, see you next chapter!  
  
Kin: And now they're stealing my lines again!!  
  
Kashaku: You said it sister!  
  
Kin: What is that supposed to mean?  
  
Kashaku: I don't know. It sounded good when I said it in my head...  
  
Review Responses:  
  
Hedi Dracona: Yay!! Thank you, that really means a lot to me!  
  
DRUKEN-IRISH-SMURF: Thanks for the compliment! Well, baka actually means idiot in Japanese. Want to know something cool? Baka means idiot in Japanese and cow in Spanish, so when you call someone a baka you're calling them an idiot and a cow! Please keep reviewing; I thrive on praise!  
  
Fire Gemron: I'm REALLY sorry that it took me so long to update. I had about three violin concerts in the last week or so and I've been very busy practicing. If you stick around long enough to read this, I salute you! Thanks a bushel!  
  
baka-chibi-puffs: I'm so glad that someone's reading my story! Kudos to you!  
  
Kashaku Hitomi: *sweatdrop* You really suck at spelling don't you? You spell it like this: Macarena. Wow, I'm surprised that you've actually managed to pass most of your spelling tests! Anyway, thanks for reviewing Ka-chan! See you next chapter!  
  
Please Review!! If you send me a nice review I'll give you a cruise to Hawaii, if you send me a flame I will be forced to give you an angry leprechaun with a pair of scissors. Thanks! 


	4. Beginnings

Disclaimer: I OWN YU YU HAKUSHO!! *runs around in circles being chased by lawyers* MWAHAHAHA!! YOU'LL NEVER CATCH ME!! *trips and falls flat on her face* um... guys, I didn't really mean that. Hehehe. *lawyers hold up briefcases menacingly* I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho okay? *lawyers look satisfied and disappear* You know, they freak me out every time they do that...  
  
Kin: Here's an EXTREMELY long chapter for me updating so late. Welcome to the third chapter of Falling Into Fiction! In this story Hiei is tall, so deal with it. And if you want to know the pairings, too bad! It's very obvious so just pay attention and don't fall asleep at your keyboard.  
  
Kashaku: Like you do?  
  
Kin: I do not!  
  
Kashaku: Do too!  
  
Kin: Do not!  
  
Kashaku: Do too!  
  
Kin: Do no- *Leiko suddenly walks in the door and Kin and Kashaku stare at her*  
  
Leiko: What?  
  
Kashaku: Where have you been?  
  
Leiko: None of your business.  
  
Kin: *glares* well now that we're all HERE we can start the chapter.  
  
Kashaku: Okay, here's the next chapter! Enjoy!  
  
"blah" speaking  
  
'blah' thinking  
  
/blah/ conscience  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~  
  
Falling Into Fiction  
  
Chapter 3: Beginnings  
  
"Go wake up the girls, it's already past ten." Yusuke said while stuffing more clothes into his duffel bag that was already bursting at the seams.  
  
After Yusuke had explained the case, the rest of the team had been more than willing to accompany the girls on their quest. I mean, it wasn't like they had gotten any cases lately anyway. It was actually kind of strange, nothing had come up and there seemed to be a lull in demon activity. It kind of made him wonder if there was something going on in the demon world.  
  
He had asked Koenma about it last night after the girls had gone to bed, but he had just looked thoughtful and said something about an ancient demon lord or something. When Yusuke had attempted to inquire further, Koenma had waved him off and proceeded to order the ogre demon that had a huge stack of papers to go and find information on a "Lord Takashi." Yusuke had left seeing as he would get no further information. He wondered if this Takashi guy would prove a problem on their quest. Probably.  
  
Yusuke turned around and glared at the rest of the guys. Hiei was sitting in the window being solitary as usual, Touya was leaning against the wall looking around coldly, Jin seemed to be asleep on the couch, and Kuwabara was still in the same spot on the floor they had left him last night with a puddle of drool under his head.  
  
"Hey, where's Kurama?" Yusuke asked.  
  
Hiei looked at him. "He was called on a special mission by Koenma last night."  
  
Yusuke wondered what it was, but kept his thoughts to himself seeing as Hiei didn't look like he was going to give out any information in the near future.  
  
"Well, are you guys going to go wake up the girls or not?" Yusuke asked again.  
  
Neither Hiei nor Touya answered him and Jin and Kuwabara continued to sleep obliviously. A vein popped out on Yusuke's head and he wondered how many times he had to ask to get some kind of reaction.  
  
"I SAID, GO WAKE UP THE GIRLS!" Yusuke practically yelled.  
  
Jin bolted awake and looked around the room wildly, but Kuwabara just continued to sleep with an occasional snore and twitch. Hiei and Touya were both glaring at Yusuke, almost making him wish he hadn't yelled that loud.  
  
"Well, they're probably awake by now." Hiei said emotionlessly.  
  
"Would you guys please go wake up the girls so I can finish packing?" Yusuke asked again while glaring at Hiei.  
  
"Fine." said Touya as he started towards the door.  
  
Jin quickly got up with a cheerful smile and followed. "It would be my pleasure." He said.  
  
Yusuke sweatdropped and wondered if it was wise to let Jin go anywhere near the fox girl. 'What was her name again? Oh yeah, Kin.'  
  
Hiei jumped off the windowsill and started towards the door. Yusuke was surprised that Hiei was going too, but shrugged it off and turned back to his bag to try and cram in some more shirts. He quickly forgot all thoughts of Hiei and the girls as he tackled the problem of getting all his pants in his bag without having to fold them.  
  
++++++  
  
Touya, Jin and Hiei walked down the hall in silence until they came to the door of room 226. The door was slightly ajar and it seemed that the girls were a little less cautious than they should be.  
  
Jin grinned cheerfully. "Shall we go in then?"  
  
Hiei and Touya just looked at him. He took that as a yes and quietly pushed the door open. The room was the same as it had been before with the three beds against the right wall and the door to the small bathroom on the left. The sun was shining through the window creating light enough to see easily, and the guys were surprised that it hadn't woken up the three girls yet.  
  
Jin walked towards the middle bed that Kin was in and grinned when he saw her sleeping. She had somehow managed to get on the bed sideways and was almost falling off headfirst while the covers were falling off the other side and only covered her to her waist. The long braid that she put her hair in to sleep was hanging of the side of the bed and touching the floor gently. Her ears twitched slightly and rotated towards him as she gripped her pillow in both arms and slightly growled in her sleep.  
  
Jin crept closer until he was at the head of the bed. He thought for a moment and decided that it would be best to wake her up now. He grinned.  
  
Meanwhile, Touya was staring at the lump that was Kashaku. He wondered how he should wake her up. Should he shake her or say her name or something? However, the problem was solved when Jin yelled, "wake up!" at the top of his lungs, and the lump that was Kashaku seemed to leap five feet in the air.  
  
Kashaku started to thrash around and get even more tangled. In the process she fell off the bed and onto the floor. Touya raised an eyebrow when he heard her muttering some choice curse words before throwing the whole blanket into the air and looking around the room frantically. She had her hair in a low ponytail and was also in a knee-length white T-shirt, but when she saw Touya she immediately latched onto his arm.  
  
"What are YOU doing in my room?" she asked.  
  
Touya just stared at her. She didn't seem surprised at all and was happily grinning and watching her blanket start to fall from the air and cover them both. Touya didn't exactly like the idea of being under a blanket with Kashaku, but he couldn't do anything do to the fact that she was gripping his arm and staring at the blanket without any signs of moving.  
  
"I just came to wake you up." Touya said while attempting to pry her off.  
  
The thick blanket fell over them both and Kashaku stared at him with wide eyes. She began to advance on him while staring intently at his face.  
  
"What?" he asked while edging away from Kashaku.  
  
"Your eyes glow." Kashaku said happily. She stuck her face up in front of his with only about an inch between them while trying to get a good look at his glowing ice blue eyes. Touya jerked back and wondered if this girl had any idea of what personal space was.  
  
He pulled the blanket off and continued to back away as Kashaku kept on coming towards him. It seemed that she now had a fascination for his eyes. She didn't seem to care that she was still in just a T-shirt, or that Touya was an ice demon who had killed multiple people before. That was the moment that Touya truly came to the conclusion that she was the strangest girl he would ever meet in his life.  
  
As soon as Kin heard the yell, she was up and had tackled the source of the noise. It was apparent that fox demons had quick reflexes and sharp instincts. She blinked the sleep from her eyes and tried to focus them.  
  
"You know, people might start to get the wrong idea." She heard someone say.  
  
She looked down and blushed furiously at the position they were in. It seemed that the person she had tackled was Jin. She had him pressed to the floor with her claws at his throat and was straddling his waist while the T- shirt she wore rode dangerously higher up her thighs. Her golden braid had fallen over her shoulder and was resting on his bare, well-toned chest. Not that she noticed. Or that was what she told herself.  
  
"Not that I mind." he continued while snaking his arms up around her waist and tugging her a little closer.  
  
She immediately blushed twenty shades redder and quickly scrambled off of him and onto the floor. He sat up and smiled cheerfully. "Well, that was fun."  
  
Kin stared at him and wondered if he ever got his mind out of the gutter. Probably not if her guess was right. That reminded her. She stood up, put her hands on her hips, and glared at him forgetting she was only wearing a T-shirt and giving him a nice view of her legs.  
  
"What are you doing in my room?" she asked menacingly.  
  
He looked her up and down and his smile widened. "You know, that look works for you."  
  
Kin blushed harder if that was possible and glared at him. "Hentai!" she yelled and began to chase him around the room while yelling threats and cursing him for being too fast.  
  
Mizuna sat up in her bed and yawned. A good night's sleep was definitely what she had needed. She pulled her covers to the side and slid out of bed with another yawn. She calmly walked over to where Hiei was standing and joined him in watching Kin throw things at the now flying Jin and Kashaku advance on the increasingly nervous Touya.  
  
"Ohayou Gozaimasu." Mizuna said pleasantly.  
  
She had her hair up in two buns on the top of her head and was wearing a long black T-shirt almost down to her knees. Hiei took one look at her, muttered "hn." and was gone.  
  
Mizuna could have sworn she saw a blush staining his cheeks when he had looked at her, but decided she must have been mistaken. Hiei never blushed, and why would he start now? But she filed that bit of information for later contemplation anyway.  
  
She watched the antics of her friends a little longer before deciding that it was time to hurry them along and get dressed. She walked calmly to the middle of the room and waited about a minute until Jin flew by and grabbed him by the arm. She ignored the protests from Kin who was complaining about not being able to kill him, and walked over to Touya. She grabbed him by his arm and started to walk both guys to the door.  
  
Touya refused to budge and glared at her. "I can do it myself woman." He said coldly and yanked his arm free.  
  
"But I thought you wanted to watch us get dressed." said Kashaku innocently.  
  
A faint hint of pink was visible on Touya's cheeks as he mumbled something and walked quickly out the door.  
  
"I do!"  
  
Mizuna gave Jin a sarcastic look. "No." she said and shoved him out the door while simultaneously locking it.  
  
Kin and Mizuna both turned toward Kashaku with raised eyebrows. Kashaku just grinned and cocked her head to the side.  
  
"What?" she asked.  
  
"Are you really that dense?" Kin asked bluntly.  
  
"I didn't really think he wanted to stay and watch us get dressed. I just knew that would make him leave in a hurry." Kashaku said smugly.  
  
Kin and Mizuna both stared at her for a second and then started to walk towards the door. "WAIT!! DON'T LEAVE ME!!" Kashaku yelled and dived head first in their direction. Kin and Mizuna just stepped to the side and watched as her dive ended as a heap on the floor.  
  
"We're just going to get our clothes. Do you have a problem with that?" Kin asked with one eyebrow cocked.  
  
Kashaku just stood up and began to skip over to her bed to retrieve her staff. "Nope!" she said happily as Kin and Mizuna both sweatdropped. They both watched as she picked up the staff leaning against the wall and walked over to the table by the door with the neatly folded clothes on it. She didn't get very far however, seeing as she tripped on her staff and fell on the floor again.  
  
Mizuna shook her head. 'The things I have to endure...'  
  
+++++++++  
  
The fully assembled group was finally ready to go. Unfortunately, Botan had yet to show up and everyone was getting kind of restless. Jin had somehow managed to maneuver it so that he could sit next to Kin on the sofa, and she wasn't too pleased. The rest of the group was busy watching her slap Jin for the sixth time, so they didn't notice when someone else entered the room.  
  
"Ahem."  
  
The whole group turned as one, including Kin who was in mid slap. They had been expecting Botan, but it seemed that Koenma had taken it upon himself to deliver the traveling device. He was in his teenage form and had a small, rather shiny object in his hand.  
  
Kashaku was immediately up and after the shiny object, but Koenma raised it above his head and glared at her. She looked rather sulky and walked back over to Touya to latch onto his arm once again.  
  
"So what is it?" Yusuke demanded.  
  
Koenma looked very annoyed but opened his hand so that they could all see. It was a small round stone only about the size of his palm, and glinted in the light. Mizuna stared at it and tried to tell what color it was, but it eluded her. She was looking straight at it; however, the color just seemed to slip past her senses with only a faint impression of its existence.  
  
"It is a transportation stone." Koenma said briefly.  
  
Mizuna raised an eyebrow. That was all the information he was going to give them? That was rather unfair. She watched as Koenma held out small stone to Yusuke, and became even more curious as to its nature when Yusuke jerked back a little as if it had shocked him.  
  
"Everyone must be touching the stone or another person who is touching the stone. You must all think of where you wish to go and you will be transported in a matter of seconds. But I must warn you, don't let go or you might end up somewhere that you have no wish to be. I have no idea of the exact location of the pendants, that, you will have to find out on your own."  
  
" It is rumored that each stone was made from the power source of each of the worlds and can be found one in each; one from the ningenkai, one from the reikai, and one from the makai world. They are mixed up, and can be found in the wrong world so as to confuse enemies. The Lightning Element was forged in the Makai, the Water Element was forged in the Reikai, and the Fire Element was created in the Ningenkai; but remember, they will be in the wrong world. While you are in the Ningenkai, you should look for the pendent that is located there. I will try to find out where it can be located and give you information. You should just stay at Yusuke's house until I send you a message and a mode of transportation."  
  
Mizuna wondered how they were going to be able to find the exact location of the pendants. Were they expected to be able to sense them or something? Because if they were, she certainly couldn't sense anything. She turned back to Koenma as he began to speak again, this time with a very serious and rather pensive face.  
  
"There have been rumors of a demon named Takashi resurfacing in the Makai."  
  
He continued despite their blank faces. "He was a very strong demon who at one time declared himself the king of all demons. He had power and wealth beyond any other, and was known for his joy in killing for pleasure. However, when he became a little too greedy and attempted to steal the Three Elemental Pendants from their guardians, he supposedly disappeared after the inevitable battle and hasn't been heard from since. No one is quite sure what went on in the Final Battle, but he was assumed dead. However, there have been many recent reports of various demons demanding information on the pendants whereabouts and saying that he is their lord."  
  
"What does this have to do with us?" Touya asked.  
  
"He will come after the pendants and possibly try to kill you if my guess is correct. He will most likely send various demons and warriors to try and wrest any information you may have about the pendants from you." For some reason he seemed to glance at Kin a little nervously when he said this.  
  
"When you actually attain the pendants, you will have to be extra careful and watch out for any traps that Takashi may set for you. No one is really sure what he looks like, but have no doubt that you will know it is him when you finally see him."  
  
The group was silent for a moment. 'Just great, another complication.' was the general all-around thought. Koenma looked at the watch on his wrist and seemed to become instantly hurried.  
  
"I have to go, but I wish you well. Be careful and try to be alert at all times." He glanced at Kin nervously once more before hurrying out of the room.  
  
Kin looked puzzled. 'What was that all about? Why did he keep looking at me like that?' she wondered. However she soon forgot her thoughts when everyone began to gather in a clump around Yusuke and his bag in the middle of the room. She watched as Yusuke dragged Kuwabara over, then hurried and joined them.  
  
"Alright, I guess we'll give it a try." Yusuke said while looking at the colorless rock dubiously.  
  
Kin grabbed onto the back of Kashaku's dress and narrowed her eyes menacingly at Jin when he put an arm around her shoulders. He looked at her innocently and made no further moves. Kin glared at him one last time before apparently deciding he was okay until he made any other moves toward her.  
  
"Okay. I guess close your eyes and think of the Ningenkai." Yusuke said.  
  
Everyone complied. There was no noticeable difference, and Kin was about to complain about Koenma being stupid, when she felt it. It was like a slight tug in her stomach and it got stronger until it was like a yank, grabbing her and ripping her forwards. Her stomach felt as if it was rising up into her throat, and there was a blinding light. She quickly closed her eyes and concentrated on not throwing up. Her sense of direction seemed to become disoriented and she tried to focus on keeping a hold of Kashaku's dress, but as soon as it began it was over.  
  
Kashaku blinked to clear her eyes, and looked around. The stone seemed to have worked seeing as they were standing in the middle of a street. People on the sidewalk were openly staring at them and gaping. There were houses going all along the street and continuing on in the distance. They were all kind of small and apartment-like.  
  
Kashaku let go of the stone, and turned towards the people lining up on the sidewalk. She started to make childish faces at them and sick out her tongue. The people stared at her like she was crazy and started to disperse and go back to their business. She could hear a few mothers telling their children not to stare at the "mentally challenged" because it was rude.  
  
"Well, they're no fun." Kashaku said with a pout.  
  
She turned back around to face the rest of the team. Hiei, Touya and Mizuna were all standing to the side and staring coolly at their surroundings, Yusuke was prodding the STILL snoring Kuwabara, and Kin was glaring at Jin who had yet to remove his arm from around her shoulders.  
  
"We should probably proceed to your house, Yusuke." Mizuna said.  
  
Yusuke gave up prodding Kuwabara to glare at her. "I'm not stupid you know. I just can't get the baka to wake up," he said turning back towards Kuwabara.  
  
Kashaku walked over to Kuwabara and prodded him with her staff. Nothing happened, and she quickly grew impatient. She began to beat him with her staff and yell for him to wake up, but he still just lay there and twitched while simultaneously drooling and snoring. The rest of the team sweatdropped.  
  
"What?" she asked cluelessly.  
  
They all just shook their heads. Kashaku shrugged and gave up beating Kuwabara. She soon became bored, and began to twirl in circles with her staff and hum a song she was making up on the spot.  
  
"Okay..." Yusuke said while watching Kashaku.  
  
Hiei gave him an annoyed look. "Just leave the fool here. We are wasting our time. If he knows where you live, he should be able to find us when he wakes up."  
  
Yusuke nodded and began to drag Kuwabara over to the sidewalk. He was sure he would be okay; he was too ugly to kidnap. With that done, he turned back just in time to see Kin elbow Jin in the stomach and duck under his arm with a scowl. She proceeded to cross her arms over her chest and glare at everyone as if daring them to say something.  
  
Touya shook his head. Jin could be such an idiot sometimes.  
  
++++++  
  
"No."  
  
"Come on Kin-chan, it'll be fun!"  
  
"Not in a billion years." Kin glared at Mizuna and adopted her stubborn stance. No way was she going shopping. She was just fine in her loose, long white robes. Besides, if her guess were right, Mizuna would insist on going in every single store, and looking at and trying on every single thing. No way was she going to the mall.  
  
Mizuna looked irritated. "Kin-chan, you can't walk around in the Ningenkai in your current clothes, and we can't keep borrowing Yusuke's. The logical solution is to go shopping! If we're going to be staying in the Ningenkai and going on a cruise, we'll need normal clothes and bathing suits! Not to mention that Koenma said we would need dresses for a formal ball and Halloween costumes for a party on the ship!"  
  
"I can do what I want! And I don't want to go shopping!"  
  
Kashaku grabbed another handful of popcorn and continued to watch the fight as it progressed to yelling. Popcorn was best for these sorts of things. She offered the bowl to Jin and he took a handful as well. Touya and Yusuke declined and continued to watch the fight with interest. Hiei was off somewhere nearby doing whatever it is that Hiei does.  
  
Ever since Koenma had sent the message, Kin and Mizuna had been arguing. About thirty minutes ago, a message had arrived from Koenma saying that he knew the general location of the first pendent. It was the Water Element, and it was somewhere in the middle of the ocean. How they were going to reach it if it was under the sea, they didn't know; Koenma hadn't mentioned it. The only things in the letter had been eight tickets for a cruise in four days, and a letter telling them to go on a nine-day cruise, bring formal wear for a ball and a Halloween costume. They didn't know where exactly the pendent was, or how to get to it, but they had decided to just go and check it out anyway.  
  
Mizuna had suggested that they go out and buy ningen clothes since they wouldn't want to go on a cruise in the clothes they were wearing now. The only problem is that Mizuna doesn't like to waste money. Mizuna, the calm and logical one, once inside a mall feels the need to shop until she gets the perfect bargain. Every clothing shop, every makeup store, every single store in the mall; none are safe from Mizuna. She is like a completely different person inside the mall. She takes forever before buying only one thing and is also highly competitive when it comes to sales. She is always first in line, and doesn't care if she has to shove to get there.  
  
Now we look at Kin. Kin hates shopping. Kin hates everything about the mall. She is short-tempered, impatient, and hates salesclerks with their preppy smiles. Ever since she was little, Kin has hated shopping and liked to torment salesclerks. She only goes to the mall unless her clothes are practically falling apart. She is way too impatient and easily bored to go shopping.  
  
"Look, Kin-chan. We really need to go shopping; we do not want to attract attention to ourselves. Moreover, you don't want people staring at you do you? All we need to do is go to the mall and buy a few clothes." Mizuna said logically.  
  
Kin glared. "Yeah, I know what a "few" clothes means to you; going through every single store and trying on every single thing."  
  
"She looks cute when she's angry," Jin commented.  
  
Kashaku just nodded absently and continued to watch the verbal match. It was obvious that Kin-chan wouldn't win. They really did need to go shopping, and Mizuna was a far better debater, but it was still fun to watch them duke it out. She stuffed some more popcorn into her mouth and watched as the fight began to come to a close.  
  
"Kin-chan, be reasonable. We really need ningen clothes. All we need to get are some normal clothes, bathing suits, formal wear, a Halloween costume, and make-up, and then we can leave. I promise." Mizuna said while looking almost bored.  
  
Kin looked sulky. "Hmpf. Fine, but only if I can drive."  
  
Mizuna looked a little nervous, but then her face changed to triumphant. "Okay. It's only ten in the morning, let's go now."  
  
Kashaku jumped up from the couch, startling the guys and making popcorn fly in all directions. "Yeah! Let's go shopping!"  
  
Mizuna suddenly looked sly and everyone backed away. "You know Kin-chan, you can't walk around outside with your ears showing. We'll have to cover them up."  
  
Kin backed away. "Don't you dare come near me with that look on your face Mi-chan!"  
  
The team had been hanging out at Yusuke's house for almost two weeks of uneventful boredom, before finally, the message had arrived. They had already borrowed some of Yusuke's clothes to wear for the time being, but the girls seemed to have forgotten about the demon attributes they now had.  
  
"You'll have to wear a hat." Mizuna said calmly while holding out a black baseball cap.  
  
Kin looked at it in horror. "No way am I wearing a hat! If I have to wear a hat, then you have to wear a hat too! Your ears are long and pointy!"  
  
Mizuna looked as if she was explaining the obvious to a very stupid person. "A hat won't cover up my ears, I'll just have to make do. You, however, have fox ears. That is just not normal."  
  
"I'm not wearing a hat." Kin said defiantly.  
  
Kashaku stood looking at the two girls with impatience. "Come on, I want to go! Just wear the stupid hat Kin-chan!"  
  
Kin pouted. "God! You're all against me! Fine! Hmpf." She put the cap on backwards, crossed her arms over her chest, and glared at everyone.  
  
"Much better. Now, let's go." Mizuna said.  
  
To be continued....  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~  
  
Mizuna: Well, wasn't that delightful.  
  
Kin: I'm a good writer! So just shut up!  
  
Mizuna: I was complimenting the story.  
  
Kin: Oh.  
  
Kashaku: Somehow, I think that was a concealed insult.  
  
Kin: *gives Mizuna suspicious look*  
  
Mizuna: I was merely trying to comment on your excellent authoress skills.  
  
Kin: *still looks suspicious* Well, anyway, how was the chapter? I have a question for you readers. Do you think that the fourth chapter is too early for a first kiss? Give me your thoughts soon and I'll try to update right away! See you next chapter!  
  
Review Responses:  
  
Hedi Dracona: I'm glad you like Kuwabaka torture, for there will definitely be more to come. *smirks*  
  
baka-chibi-puffs: Thanks for sticking with me! Good luck on catching Kenshin, you better watch out for Kaoru though!  
  
Kashaku Hitomi: *narrows eyes* What do you mean 'I don't know about you though'? I make perfect spelling scores. Anyway, Happy Christmas to you too! Thanks for reviewing my story every chapter!  
  
Baka Inu: I see you like Kuwabaka torture. I don't think that he'll get beat up by Kin in the next chapter, but you can definitely expect it soon. I have plans for him.... *evil cackle*  
  
Silver Moon Rebel: Thanks! I'm sure Ka-chan is happy to see that at least some people like her! *Kashaku beats Kin over the head with plastic hammer* OW!!  
  
YoUkNoWuLuVmE: Thanks for reviewing! Kurama is actually not paired up with anyone in this story. Unless you would like me to pair him up with Botan? Well, what do you think? I'm not really sure, I was going to have him go solo but if you think I should put him with her I'll give it a shot.  
  
Crissy Dowie: Is that name right? Anyway, thanks for reviewing. I try to update as often as I can, but my computer isn't compatible with FF.net so I usually have to sneak on the computers at school and upload my chapters. Every once in a while my computer will randomly work, so sorry if I'm not updating fast enough!  
  
Please Review!! If you send me a nice review I'll give you a pony, if you send me a flame I'll be forced to give you all of my toenail clippings from the last week. Thanks! 


	5. Developments

Disclaimer: My nose hurts. *lawyers lean in* Whoa! Personal space please! Anyway, like I was saying, my nose hurts. *lawyers look expectant* Nope, that's it. That's all I have to say. *lawyers begin to advance* Ha! I'm way ahead of you! *pulls out what looks like a huge bazooka* Eat this!! MWAHAHAHA!! *lawyers stand looking bored as nothing happens* Ano, it's not working..... Oh well, I guess I'll just have to save my anti-lawyer device for next time. I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho........ YET.  
  
Kin: Welcome to the fourth chapter of Falling Into Fiction. Let me just say, I AM SO SORRY. But, I won't grovel, for I have many legitimate reasons for my extreme lateness in updating. First of all, my computer refuses to contact FF.net so I have been sneaking on the computers at school and updating there. Unfortunately, the teachers made a rule that now we have to tell them exactly when we get online and what we're doing, and updating on FF.net isn't high on their list of acceptable student work. I also sprained my own damn ankle doing something stupid, so I'm pretty agitated about having to use crutches. First it was SukiYumi who broke both her wrists, then me who sprained my ankle, and next it'll be Kashaku. Anyways, the biggest problem is that I have, oh the horror, dare I say it? Writers block. Yep, I have writers block.  
  
Kashaku: So you admit it!  
  
Kin: Shut up! Anyway, I know exactly what the plot of the story is and where it's going, but I'm having problems getting there. So, just to keep you guys interested, I'm giving you this filler chapter about the gang going on a trip to a theme park. It's kind of a pointless chapter, and it's full of mostly humor and fluff, so you can skip it if you want to. Hopefully this chapter will let you get to know the characters better, and bridge the gap to the action, adventure and drama that is going to happen on the cruise. So, sorry about the holdup; this chapter isn't very good, but I hope it'll tide you over until I can get over my despicable writers block. Thanks for your patience.  
  
Mizuna: Aren't you going to say something else? Come up with some kind of witty banter between you and myself? Some kind of spat between you and Kashaku?  
  
Kin: Nope. The readers probably just want the story, so that's what I'm giving them. They don't want me to waste time on other stuff. Oh, and one more thing. Kashaku changed her pen name again; it's now Sho-Tosa-Kitto. So anyway, here is the fourth chapter of Falling Into Fiction (finally!). Enjoy.  
  
"blah" speaking  
  
'blah' thinking  
  
/blah/ conscience  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~  
  
Falling Into Fiction  
  
Chapter 4: Developments  
  
Mizuna turned to the next page of "Theories on Human Evolution: The Chronicles" and furrowed her eyebrows. She didn't agree with this professor at all, human evolution was far more complicated than the simple change from primate to Homo Sapien. What a fool. It was, however, interesting to pull apart the reasoning behind his theories and prove to herself that they were in fact, wrong.  
  
The three girls had finished their shopping a few days ago, and now she was wearing a pair of loose carpenter jeans, and a pale blue t-shirt that said "mess with me" in pink cursive at the top and "see what happens" on the bottom in black block type. She completed the outfit with a black bottle cap belt, a pair of Nike's and a blue ribbon tying her hair in a high ponytail. Her casual look was accented by her sprawled out position on a lounging chair that was close to the door of a nearby closet.  
  
While she continued to destroy all reasoning behind the books logic, Kashaku was perusing a TV guide. Kashaku was wearing a leopard print mini skirt with black tights and black calf high boots. Her top consisted of a dark brown, sleeveless top with a square neck and tight lacing down the front. She had her hair in two braids on either side of her head both tied with bronze-colored ribbons, and she had painted her nails a shimmering bronze to match.  
  
"Hey, what's wrong with this guide? I can't understand it at all!" Kashaku said angrily and threw the TV guide into the air. A few seconds later, it came back down and landed on her head.  
  
The blue-haired demoness glanced up from her book with annoyance. "Maybe it is due to the fact that you were reading it upside down," she said and returned to her book.  
  
"Oh."  
  
There was complete silence for about ten seconds before Kin suddenly came barging through the door with an enraged look on her face. "Let's go to the arcade he says! I won't try anything he says! Yeah, like that lasted long!!"  
  
Kin was wearing long, loose black cargo pants held low by a gold-studded belt, and she had already written all over her new black converses with white out and drawn skulls on them. She was wearing a tight, sheer army print t-shirt over a darker black long sleeved shirt, and she still had her multitude of golden bangles on her wrists and most likely her ankles although you couldn't see them. Her hair was down and loose as usual and a plain black baseball cap covered her ears.  
  
"If you were fool enough to believe him, then you brought it on yourself," Mizuna said disinterestedly. Kin gave her a murderous glare.  
  
Kashaku looked up from the still upside down TV guide and watched as Jin came through the door with a couple of red handprints on his face. Kin nearly exploded when she saw him and ripped of her cap and threw it somewhere over her shoulder in anger, making her noticeably twitching ears visible. She began yelling her head off about how he needed to learn self- control and stay away from her or she would get a restraining order or something. A vein was starting to pop out on Mizuna's head as she kept trying to read her book; it wouldn't be long before she decided to intervene and probably spoil all the fun.  
  
Kashaku coughed for attention. No one spared her a glance and she sat simmering for a second before standing up and pitching the TV guide directly at Kin, who in turn dodged. The magazine smacked Jin in the face and he fell over with swirls for eyes. Kashaku ignored him and struck a pose. "We should all get along!! We're leaving for a cruise tomorrow afternoon, we should all be overjoyed!"  
  
Actually, the red-haired sorceress was making sense and if it weren't for the ridiculous pose she had struck, the other two girls would assume that she was actually acting normal for once. Mizuna, however, continued to read her book without glancing up and Kin just gave her a weird look before walking purposefully over Jin's back on her way to sit on the couch. Ignoring the strangled noise he made, she sat down and pulled out a Gameboy SP.  
  
It was getting rather dull. Packing had already been finished, and the gang was just waiting for tomorrow to come so they could officially begin their quest. But, as we all know, time moves slower when you anticipate. No one was really sure where Hiei was, but Yusuke was sulking in his room (the girls had used all his money to buy their new clothes), and Touya hadn't come out of the guys' room since this morning so was probably meditating or something strange like that. All in all, the house was very quiet.  
  
That was, until Kashaku screamed. It seemed like almost immediately everyone else was in the room with weapons ready to fight, looking around for the source of the yellow-eyed girl's terror. However, there seemed to be no cause for alarm and Hiei turned towards her with annoyance flashing in his eyes. "Well, what is it wench?"  
  
The others now turned to her in annoyance as well. Whereas Hiei had jumped in the open window, Yusuke and Touya had come dashing out of the boys' room expecting danger and were quite irritated and almost disappointed to find that it was only some kind of joke or something else, most likely pointless, Kashaku had thought of.  
  
"Let's go to the new theme park I read about in the paper!" Kashaku said enthusiastically.  
  
"Let's not," Mizuna said still reading.  
  
Yusuke crossed his arms over his chest with a characteristic smirk. "I for one am bored just sitting around and sulking. Maybe there'll be some guys to fight; I'm going."  
  
Kin jumped up and stuffed her Gameboy somewhere in a pocket on her baggy, black pants. "Yeah! Let's go! We can ride on all the biggest roller coasters five times apiece and then we can go on all the water rides!" At the mention of said roller coasters Kashaku went a little green, but she quickly regained her enthusiasm, at least enough for an attempt to get Touya to come as well.  
  
"Come on Touya; it'll be fun! We can eat cotton candy, and buy souvenirs, and go on rides, and laugh at the clowns, and........." After a while the rest of the group tuned her out and turned towards Touya to see his reaction.  
  
"Hm. I suppose it would be an ample opportunity for me to study the ningen culture further. I will go," he said emotionlessly.  
  
Kin nodded her head in approval. That left only two others to convince. She could probably get Mizuna to go, but persuading Hiei might very well prove to be impossible. However, if she just...........Her line of thought was abruptly interrupted by a hand sliding down her back and into dangerous territory. "YOU HENTAI!"she screamed as soon as she realized what was going on. A certain wind master had apparently snuck up behind her while she was thinking and taken advantage of her preoccupied state. She slammed her elbow backwards, aiming for his stomach but missed. So, he thought he could anticipate her moves did he?  
  
The previously reading Mizuna suddenly closed her book and stood up. She carefully placed it back on the chair before speaking. "Since it seems as if I will never be able to finish my book in peace and quiet, I too will go," she said while watching Kin throw various punches at the agile Jin. He was most likely having fun dodging her careless and angry attacks, and was talking so fast in his thick Irish accent that it was hard to make out what he was saying. However, Kin obviously could because her face was getting noticeably redder with every word.  
  
"Well, since I think that Jin is coming, that only leaves Hiei to convince," Kashaku said with a bright smile after finally finishing, or at least pausing, in listing all the fun things to do at a theme park. She turned to the before mentioned fire demon and gave him puppy-dog eyes. "It wouldn't be the same without you! Please come with us Hiei."  
  
However, she was to be disappointed for he just narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms over his chest. "What makes you think that I would want to?" he asked haughtily.  
  
This time it was Mizuna's turn to interrupt. "You wouldn't want to neglect your duty now would you Hiei? You promised Koenma to complete any cases given in order to make up for all of your previous crimes, and what if something were to happen while we were having fun? Perhaps a youkai will attack or we will find a pendant. You never know," she said with an almost evil grin of satisfaction. If she was going down, he was going down with her. At least the torture would be spread around.  
  
A loud crash interrupted her satisfied grin and she turned with the others to see Kin pulling her fist out of a hole in the wall. The fox demon glared at Jin like it was his fault, which it was, at least to her. "That's it, You're going down!" she yelled.  
  
Jin sweatdropped and scratched the back of his head. "Now wait a second. I didn't-" He was cut off by a punch aimed directly for his face and dodged just in time to save his face from manual reconstruction.  
  
"You can have your little lover's spat later," Mizuna interrupted rolling her eyes as if she were speaking to unruly children. "If I am to be forced on this foolish escapade I wish to do it now and get it over with." She left Kin sputtering in anger and Jin grinning cheerfully as she walked outside towards the car. Kashaku soon followed, skipping happily and dragging a Touya who was only now regretting his decision to join them on their venture. Yusuke followed after raising his eyebrow at the hole in the wall, and Hiei, who was looking rather furious about being forced on a trip to a theme park with such a group of fools, narrowed his eyes and was suddenly gone in the blink of an eye.  
  
Kin crossed her arms over her chest and her left eyebrow twitched. 'I'm going to get you for that Mi-chan, just you wait.'  
  
++++++  
  
It was rather chilly outside, the weather only just now making the transition into winter, but that didn't stop the multitude of tourists from flocking to the theme park like moths to a flame. The entire place was packed. Young children in puffy jackets laughed and ran off only to be caught by their scolding mothers just before they went out of sight. However, although there were tons of people cluttering the walkways, the lines for the biggest rides were surprisingly short. Perhaps it was because there were so many children rather than teenagers there.  
  
"Let's go on this one!" Kin exclaimed happily eyes wide with excitement as she gazed at the extremely huge roller coaster in front of her. It had loops and sharp turns, tunnels and hills, but the most impressive part of it was the extremely vertical drop that happened almost right after you got started. It looked like it almost brushed the clouds.  
  
Kashaku stared at the same ride with wide eyes. However her eyes were wide with terror rather than excitement. She gripped the sleeve of Touya's jacket like a lifeline and shook her head so fast it looked like it was going to fly off her neck. "I-I think I'll sit this one out Kin-chan," she said rather shakily as she slowly backed away, dragging Touya with her. She had already been forced on a roller coaster a bit less frightening than this one and that was enough for her.  
  
Her enthusiastic friend merely shrugged before rushing off to get in line. "Your loss," she replied still focused on the task of getting to the first car so she could be in front.  
  
Of course Jin was already in line, always close behind Kin in the hopes of catching her off guard. Mizuna calmly stood in line behind them with Yusuke, a bored expression seemed permanently etched on her features, and Hiei was of course refusing to get on any of the rides. Or perhaps he was just refusing to be seen with the rest of the group considering the fact that he was standing a little apart from everyone.  
  
A car came in just then and as the gate opened to let in the waiting people, Kin shoved her way to the front car and pushed out the people already there while simultaneously strapping her seat belt on. When the people got angry and tried to get her out of the seat she just growled at them and they promptly left, muttering about animalistic teenagers today. Jin sat next to her and Mizuna took a seat in the car behind them along with Yusuke.  
  
Kashaku watched her friends as they began to slowly make their way up to the top of the vertical drop and she turned and buried her face in Touya's chest, not wanting to watch as they plummeted down towards the ground at such a fast speed. The before mentioned ice demon cleared his throat and inched slightly away from Kashaku in an attempt to free himself, but she just walked with him, still clutching the front of his shirt. He sighed in annoyance and prodded the still clingy red-haired girl.  
  
She looked up at him. "What?" she asked with her head cocked to the side.  
  
"Do you think you could let go of my shirt please?" Touya asked with irritation clear in his eyes. People were stopping to openly point and say "aw", and it was starting to get on his nerves. Not to mention the aggravating smirk that Hiei had on his face and was directing towards him. He had been forced to endure this already many times before and it was starting to really bug him. The kitsune had insisted on going on only the big rides, and Kashaku was apparently afraid of heights, thereby forcing him to stay with her while she waited for the others to get off. She had gone on one ride, but that had ended quite badly with much screaming involved.  
  
The girl from his thoughts abruptly interrupted his musings as she let go of his shirt. He let out a breath, but his relief was short-lived as Kashaku only latched on to his arm instead. Would he ever escape this girl? She just wouldn't leave him alone............ His eyebrow twitched.  
  
Fortunately, the others got off the ride just then. Kin was once again off in a flurry about how great the ride had been and how much Kashaku had missed, but the fire sorceress just gripped Touya's jacket harder and smiled cheerfully while shaking her head.  
  
"Hey, I know Ka-chan! Let's go on a ride that we can all enjoy!" Kin said giving Mizuna a sideways glance that looked a little too sly.  
  
The said water demon gave her a suspicious look, but before she could inquire as to what she was planning, Kashaku interrupted. "Yeah! Let's go!"  
  
So Kin led the way, weaving between small groups of tourists with the rest of the Spirit Detective group following. People were staring at the motley group and it was no surprise due to the fact that Kin had her ears and tail out in the open, Mizuna and Jin's ears were quite pointy, Kashaku had yellow cat eyes, Jin had a horn in the middle of his forehead, Touya had no pupils, and Hiei had a katana by his side. However, most just dismissed them as some kind of actor troupe or something. Kin stopped right in front of a ride that looked awfully like...........  
  
"The Tunnel of Love?" Mizuna asked with one raised eyebrow.  
  
The golden-haired girl just smirked.  
  
Jin put an arm around her shoulders and grinned, but before he could even say a word Kin gave him a warning glare and stomped on his foot.  
  
"Ow, what was that-" He was interrupted when Kin grabbed his sleeve and pulled his head down enough so that she could whisper in his ear. He listened attentively as she said something, occasionally glancing at Mizuna with a slight smile. No one could hear what she was saying, and the only one who really cared was Mizuna herself. Everyone else was to busy gaping at the fox demon actually getting close to Jin without trying to kill him. They were even more surprised when he whispered back to her and she blushed before nodding.  
  
"So, let's go," Kin said finally still with a slight blush on her face. She let go of Jin's sleeve and sent another sly glance Mizuna's way. "I think that everyone should go on this ride."  
  
Yusuke backed off. "No way," he said with a tone of finality. Kin glared at him but could do nothing when he backed away and suddenly disappeared into the crowd, quickly becoming lost to even her demon sight.  
  
Kashaku dragged a protesting Touya over to the entrance and gave the girl at the booth a few tickets before hopping into one of the swan-shaped boats with the extremely annoyed ice demon in tow. The boat began to slowly move off into the tunnel and everyone could hear Kashaku start to say things like "Ooh look at all the pink!" and "If I jump up and down will the boat capsize?"  
  
"Yeah, well anyway, go on Mizuna! You wouldn't want to miss all the fun would you?" Kin asked with an extremely fake innocent look on her face. Before Mizuna could protest she was being shoved towards the entrance and onto another swan-shaped boat. Just as the boat was leaving, Hiei was also shoved onto the same boat. Kin gave them one last wave before they disappeared into the dimly lit tunnel.  
  
It was extremely phony-looking with tons of pink and red hearts all over the walls, and lights that spelled "I love you" and other such things. There was some music playing that was most likely supposed to be romantic but only came off as cheesy and annoying. The unstable swan boat rocked a little and a few more chips of stained white paint fell into the water. It went without saying that Mizuna and Hiei were more than annoyed, they were quite angry.  
  
Hiei narrowed his eyes. "I'm getting out of here." That was when he noticed the handcuffs. Yes, the handcuffs. They were chaining him to the back bar of the boat and he wondered when the kitsune had done that. Well, it didn't matter; they were just metal and easily broken. Well, that was what he thought until they continued to hold even against his demon strength. He looked over and saw the girl pulling at her own set of handcuffs, also just having realized the situation.  
  
"What are these made of?" she asked with exasperation as the handcuffs refused to yield to her sharp yanking.  
  
Her companion wasn't better off even when he unsheathed his katana in an attempt to cut through the links. They sent a shock down his arm and he realized what they were. "Demon warded handcuffs."  
  
Mizuna glared at the chains as if that would cause them to break. "When we get out of here I'm going to kill Kin."  
  
++++++  
  
The same golden-eyed kitsune watched as Jin flirted shamelessly with the girl at the booth of the Tunnel of Love just as she had told him too. He said something most likely funny and the girl at the booth laughed and blushed slightly while he scratched the back of his head in feigned embarrassment. Anger began to rise in Kin's veins for no reason that she could fathom and she clenched her fists. He was hers to do whatever she wanted with and no one else's. Wait a second, hers? Was that possessiveness that was beginning to steal into her thoughts? No, couldn't be. She was just jealous. No, wait a second; that wasn't right. She was just feeling sorry for the girl. Yeah, that was it.........  
  
Jin turned with one last charming smile and made his way over to where Kin stood stewing in her thoughts and, not that she would admit it, denial. She looked up as he came over and spoke without thinking. "You look better in your training clothes you know. They suite you better."  
  
He grinned. "So you like me better when I don't have a shirt on?"  
  
The now flustered Kin held up her hands. "N-no that's not what I meant. You look cute all the time- No, I mean that you look good wearing anything- Wait a second-" she continued sputtering as Jin's smile grew larger. He watched with interest as a dark red blush spread up the column of her throat and intensified as it reached her face.  
  
Just then a boat came out the other end of the tunnel carrying two people, one ecstatically enthusiastic the other annoyed as hell and sopping wet. Touya narrowed his eyes threateningly at Kin but she was too busy stuttering and blushing to notice. She wasn't really the best when it came to emotions.  
  
"Hey Kin-chan, why is your face so red? And why did you blush earlier when Jin whispered something to you? What's going on? Why did you make us go on this ride?" Kashaku continued asking questions as she hopped out of the boat leaving Touya to his own devices.  
  
The kitsune girl turned towards the distraction with relief. She suddenly remembered the plan as she heard the last question and grabbed Kashaku before walking quickly off into the crowd. Jin followed with a grin still on his face, and Touya squeezed out his jacket with a glare before getting out of the boat. The group minus three wound their way back among the tourists until they were as far away from the Tunnel of Love as Kin deemed necessary.  
  
Kashaku latched on to Touya's still wet sleeve without seeming to care and cocked her head. "Where're Mi-chan and Hiei?" she asked.  
  
"Revenge is so sweet. Why don't we go on another ride?" was the only reply she received from the gloating kitsune now walking towards the center of the park. The Ferris wheel loomed ahead and she made a beeline for it. She didn't really like the Ferris wheel herself, but maybe Ka-chan would be able to enjoy it. It was pretty high, but it was really slow.  
  
++++++  
  
Mizuna resigned herself to death handcuffed to a cheep swan boat surrounded by cheesy music and neon pink hearts. It was the seventh time she and Hiei had been around the tunnel and she was starting to wonder if they would ever escape. When they had come out the first time they were surprised to see that the rest of the group had gone, leaving them to themselves. Of course she had immediately asked the girl in the booth to let them free, but it seemed as if someone had convinced her that she and Hiei had previously paid to be left alone in the Tunnel of Love for an unlimited amount of time. Any attempt to point out the handcuffs and explain the situation sent the girl off in a tizzy about a cute red-haired guy that had told her they were just joking. What an idiot.  
  
The horrible grating music was certainly going to make her deaf by the time that she got out, if she ever did. Hiei was sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed and was apparently blocking out the situation with meditation. However, his annoyance betrayed him when he unconsciously fingered his katana and his eyebrow twitched. Yep, Kin was dead.  
  
Suddenly Mizuna brightened. She had an idea! This had to work............  
  
++++++  
  
Well, as luck would have it, the Ferris wheel had broken down. Kashaku and Touya were somewhere at the top. Kin had been watching them as they ascended and then suddenly the whole ride just shuddered and stopped. A woman at a nearby kissing booth ran over to the controls and began trying to fix it, as was most likely her job. The twenty-five cent kissing booth stood deserted as Kin slowly looked around to see if anyone was watching. She slid in behind the counter and waited.  
  
It wasn't long before a little kid who looked about six walked up holding a quarter. "Hey lady; you're pretty."  
  
Kin smirked. "Do you want a kiss little boy?"  
  
The boy waved his quarter around. "Yes please. I have a whole quarter!"  
  
"Well, you're gonna need forty-nine dollars and seventy-five cents more. My kisses don't come cheap you know," she replied. The little boy glared at her and sniffed before walking off most likely to tell his mommy about the mean, pretty lady at the kissing booth. As the boy disappeared once again into the crowd, a good-looking young man approached and stopped in front of the booth, he looked to be about a year older than Kin herself.  
  
"Hey, I've got a quarter. How 'bout a kiss?" The guy was handsome enough with messy chocolate brown hair and cobalt blue eyes, a rather cute crooked smile, and a flirty manner. He flipped a quarter in his right hand and grinned.  
  
The golden-haired girl held out her hand. "That'll be fifty bucks please."  
  
To her surprise the guy's grin just widened and he pulled out his wallet. She watched in amazement as he pulled out a fifty-dollar bill and handed it to her. Somehow she hadn't anticipated someone actually willing to pay that much to kiss her and she wasn't really sure what to do.  
  
"Ano, I was just joking," she said.  
  
The handsome boy just shrugged. "Well, that's okay, you can keep the fifty. I'd like my kiss now though if you don't mind," he said.  
  
Kin just furrowed her eyebrows. Should she kiss him or not?  
  
++++++  
  
Touya sat at the top of the Ferris wheel holding the terrified Kashaku in his lap. The Ferris wheel just had to break down when they were at the top, and of course the red-haired sorceress was completely horrified. When it had shuddered she jumped immediately into his lap and wouldn't budge. She had her arms around his waist and refused to open her eyes. Fate really hated him didn't it?  
  
A slight breeze blew and made the tips of Kashaku's crimson hair flutter. She shivered and Touya reluctantly put his arms around her to keep her from catching cold even though he probably wasn't much help due to the fact that he was still a little wet from the adventure in the Tunnel of Love. He didn't mind the cold; he was an ice demon after all, but Kashaku was a ningen fire sorceress. She didn't mix well with the cold, and for some reason that thought bothered him.  
  
The Ferris wheel jerked and Kashaku whimpered. It began to move slowly around, stopping to let people out of their compartments as it went. They were gradually getting closer to the ground and Touya couldn't be more relieved. Finally, they were next. As the wheel stopped to let off the people right before them, Kashaku suddenly looked up.  
  
"Thanks Touya," she said sincerely before burying her face once again in his chest for the millionth time that day. And it didn't really bother him any more.  
  
++++++  
  
Was it worth it? Should she kiss a total stranger for fifty bucks? Hell yeah! She leaned in to kiss the boy, but just before her lips met his, he was shoved out of the way. Kin blinked and pulled back to find that she was looking at a very furious yet wet Mizuna. The water demon had a pair of handcuffs dangling off one of her wrists and it swung slightly as she twitched in anger.  
  
"Hey! How did you get out?" Kin asked while trying to look around her friend and locate the boy that had been about to kiss her. Perhaps she could con another fifty out of him.  
  
The blue-haired girl in front of her narrowed her eyes. "Hiei cut the bar that we were chained to in half, but I unfortunately did not know that the bar was the only thing supporting the boat. It capsized and we were forced to swim."  
  
Kin nodded absently and crossed her arms in annoyance. The boy was gone and so was another easy fifty. She could see the Ferris wheel begin to start again and wondered how Kashaku had dealt with her ordeal. Her attention was abruptly yanked back to the wet demoness in front of her as Mizuna shoved the handcuffs in front of her face. "What were you thinking?! You put me through hell not to mention Hiei too!"  
  
Her golden-haired friend just glared at her. "You deserve it for that comment you said this morning!"  
  
"Is that what this was about?" Mizuna asked incredulously.  
  
Kin gave her a "duh" expression and the water demoness was almost too annoyed to speak. She was put through all hell because of a stupid comment she had made earlier that morning? Her friend was in need of some serious therapy. She decided to just drop the matter and hope that Hiei would too; if she got even with Kin, the fox demoness would in turn try to get even again and so on. Whatever. Who cared anyway; it was something that she should have expected from her easily angered friend.  
  
Kashaku suddenly popped up between the two girls and did a little dance. "I'm free! Yes! Let's get out of here!"  
  
The other two demons gave her a strange look when she began to sing the national anthem and Kin stepped out of the kissing booth so that they could leave. As if called, the rest of the group began to gather as well. Touya walked calmly over from the direction of the Ferris wheel, Yusuke appeared out of the crowd with a few new bruises, and Jin suddenly popped up out of nowhere. Kin blushed a little when she saw him and he grinned. Gradually the group began to gravitate towards the exit, each thinking about the interesting day they had had. Just as they reached the exit a certain fire demon appeared.  
  
Hiei gave Kin a frosty glare but said nothing. His handcuffs were gone and she could only assume he had gotten a human to touch them and remove the spell. Well, it didn't matter. The day was over, and it had certainly been an interesting one. Tomorrow was the first day of their quest, and everyone was ready for a little adventure.  
  
To be continued.............  
  
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Kin: Finally!! I just want everyone to know that this is just a filler chapter and it wasn't that good, I'm sorry about it. The real journey will start next chapter as I now have a good idea as of how to proceed. My writer's block is gone! Yay!  
  
Kashaku: Gosh, I thought it would take you forever!  
  
Kin: Well it didn't! So there!  
  
Mizuna: It might as well have.  
  
Kin: If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all!  
  
Mizuna: Fine, I'll be quiet.  
  
Kashaku: I liked all the parts with me in them! They were the best!  
  
Kin: Hmpf.  
  
Mizuna: You should end the chapter so that you can begin on the next one and post it as soon as possible.  
  
Kin: Stop rushing me! I'm going!!  
  
Kashaku: Hurry!  
  
Kin: I'M GOING!! Thanks for reading. I'm truly sorry for how long it took to update and I'll try to do better. Anyway, see you next chapter. Read and Review!  
  
Review Responses:  
  
SukiYumi: Thanks for reviewing. I finally updated, YAY!!  
  
Kurama's Stalker: Alrighty, you get your wish! Kurama shall hereby be single in this fic from now on! Thanks for reviewing.  
  
Kitty The Black Ice Cat: I'm sorry that I didn't update soon. See my beginning author's notes to find out why. There isn't a first kiss in this chapter, but I have planned out when they are all going to be. Kurama is single!! Yay!  
  
Baka Inu: Wow. I can't believe it was New Year's the last time I updated! Thanks for wishing me a Happy New Year!  
  
baka-chibi-puffs: I hope you get Kenshin for yourself! Happy hunting! Thanks for reviewing!  
  
Raven Ishtar: I'm sorry if I disappointed you this chapter on not making it very plotful, but don't worry! Action is coming!  
  
Sho-Tosa-Kitto: Stop changing your penname!! I can't keep track of who you are! Thanks for reviewing Ka-chan! To tell you the truth, I like exclamation marks too!!!!  
  
GoldenKnives: Thanks for liking my story so much! I really appreciate it, and you just might be my favorite reviewer!! Cookies for you!  
  
Diana-sama: Thanks for reviewing!! I'm pretty good at grammar so I don't really need anyone to tell me about it, but I have found some errors throughout. I really do try to keep it as correct as possible though and it's nice to have someone notice! Thanks a bushel! Kurama is single!!!!!!  
  
Hiei's1girl: Yay!! I updated! Be happy!  
  
Please Review!! If you send me a nice review I'll give you a magical cat, if you give me a flame I will be forced to give you a rabid hippo. 


	6. Questions

Disclaimer: Yu Yu Hakusho does not... *lawyers lean in* have a crab for one of its main characters. *lawyers shake heads* If it did have a crab as a main character, it would probably be a purple crab. *lawyers roll eyes and pull out staplers* O.O Yu Yu Hakusho does not belong to me. Please don't staple me!! *lawyers look satisfied* Stupid lawyers with their stupid staple guns...  
  
Kin: Well, it's another chapter of Falling Into Fiction. I think I might have figured out how to make my computer update, but last time might have just been a fluke. When I try to update this chapter, I'll know for sure. So anyway, I just want to say that I'm sorry once again about the stupid filler chapter and it probably won't happen again. This chapter starts with them on the cruise, so the adventure, action, and fighting is coming up VERY soon. There will be fluff, humor and pointless rambling, but if you start to get bored, just keep in mind that it's going to get good soon. This story is going very slowly, but you just have to remember that this IS a romance/humor fic after all. However, I have planed everything out and I can GUARANTEE that there will be action and fighting eventually.  
  
Mizuna: I would like proof of that statement.  
  
Kashaku: I would like a lollipop.  
  
Kin: And I would like a million dollars but you don't see that happening do you?!  
  
Mizuna: *glares* I was merely wondering if you were ever going to get to the good parts in the story. You just keep going on and on about pointless things.  
  
Kin: SHUT UP!! There is going to be a lot of plot in the next few chapters, so why don't you just be quiet!  
  
Mizuna: Because I don't feel like it.  
  
Kashaku: Do you happen to have a lollipop on you by any chance?  
  
Mizuna & Kin: NO!!  
  
Kin: And if I did, I wouldn't give it to you anyway!  
  
Kashaku: *gets teary-eyed* I'm so under appreciated...  
  
Mizuna: *rolls eyes* Here it comes.  
  
Kashaku: WHAAAAAAA!!!! Y-YOU'RE SO M-MEAN TO ME!  
  
Kin: SHUT UP! YOU'RE HURTING MY EARS!!  
  
Mizuna: I feel a migraine coming on.  
  
Kashaku *starts to run around while still crying loudly* WHAAAAAA!!!  
  
Kin: SHUT UP!!  
  
Mizuna: Alright. That's it. The fic is starting; enjoy it.  
  
Kin: Wait a second-  
  
"blah" speaking  
  
'blah' thinking  
  
/blah/ conscience  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~  
  
Falling Into Fiction  
  
Chapter 5: Questions  
  
The cool sea breeze blew Mizuna's long dark ponytail over her shoulder. The sea itself was a rolling surface of deepest blue glass, the sun setting into its endless depths. Red, purple and orange painted dancing colors across the sky and clouds stood low outlined in molten silver, like a lining of tangible light always just out of reach. The waves breaking against the side of the ship provided a comforting background noise, completing the feeling of contentment that was settling in around her. However, no matter how beautiful the scene was, Mizuna's mind was elsewhere.  
  
The group had arrived at the docks to be met with what seemed to be a humongous cruise ship, complete with tourists, four pools, a casino, five game rooms, and a ton of other entertaining things. That had been when Kuwabara had shown up. Looking quite worse for the wear and mumbling about crazy old ladies, he had stumbled up the ramp to the ship and Yusuke had grudgingly admitted that he was with them. There had been no real problems and they had gone looking for the rooms they would be staying in. There were two: one for the guys and one for the girls, the guys' being pretty large with beds in blue silk sheets and an ocean motif all around. The girls' had been a bit smaller considering that there were only three of them, and the room had been done in shades of red and pink with purple silk sheets.  
  
Everyone was probably still unpacking. Kashaku and Kin were probably arguing over which drawer belonged to whom and there was no telling what the guys were doing. Probably throwing their stuff everywhere in an attempt to get started on wrecking their room by the end of the cruise. Mizuna had neatly folded her clothes in one of the drawers and hung up her dress and other more formal clothing. Something had called her over to the remote spot at the front of the ship where the railing was strangely devoid of the normal throng of tourists holding cameras and hoping for dolphins to photograph.  
  
She could feel it. It was faint, but there nonetheless: a dim sense of something waiting for her. It felt almost as if it were calling her, needing her to find it. She was almost sure that it was the pendant. What else could it be? The ship was setting a direct course for it and she wondered if Koenma had arranged it specifically or if he had just chosen a cruise that happened to be going in the right direction. He had said that the pendants would be hidden in the wrong world of origin, so hers must have been forged in either the Reikai or the Makai. Whichever world it had originated from, it didn't matter, the only thing that did was the slight tugging that it was exerting on her mind.  
  
A child suddenly ran by laughing, startling her out of her reverie. She blinked and let go of the rail. It had made an imprint on her hands; she hadn't even realized she had been gripping it that hard. There was something strange going on besides the pendants call; Mizuna's senses were tingling with foreboding. There was some kind of mystery surrounding the pendants and the guardians; something that they didn't yet understand, something critical. What was it? However, her question remained unanswered and she continued to watch as the sun set.  
  
++++++  
  
Kashaku walked barefoot along the deck, not wanting to go inside or go swimming just yet. The sky was a beautiful tableau of colors and she assumed that was why Mizuna had left the room without them; she didn't want to miss it. There were a few children out playing on the deck as well, their mothers keeping a sharp eye that they didn't go to close to the railing. The flame-haired sorceress sighed and wondered how long it was until dinner. She supposed that she could gather a few of the others and seek a dining hall or restaurant or some other place with food, but she didn't really feel like it just yet.  
  
She wandered along the vast first floor deck for a while more before finally becoming bored. The fight between her and Kin about the drawers had finally been resolved just a little earlier when she had finally relented and let Kin have the top drawer while she took the bottom and she wasn't quite sure where her argumentative friend had taken off to afterwards. The guys had scattered as well, everyone going their separate ways to find something they wanted to do in the time before dinner. So, she had wandered off as well in search of something she wasn't quite sure of.  
  
Lost in her thoughts, Kashaku didn't see the woman until it was too late. She walked right into her and nearly knocked her over. "I'm so sorry!" she said dramatically. "I didn't mean to bump into you! I just wasn't looking were I was going and then I ran into you and...." Kashaku trailed off.  
  
The woman was giving her a speculative look as if measuring her up to some unknown scale. It made her uneasy. The woman was extremely beautiful, almost impossibly so, with short chin-length ebony hair, straight cut bangs and bright green eyes. Her ageless face was perfectly proportioned with arching eyebrows and high cheekbones. The long black coat and black slacks that she wore did nothing to hide her faultless figure and graceful form. As if finding what she was looking for, the unknown woman gave Kashaku a smile that didn't quite reach her long-lashed eyes.  
  
"It's alright," she said with a low, purring voice that made her R's sound drawn out. She gave the girl one last unreadable look before walking away with a fluid grace that could almost be considered gliding.  
  
The yellow-eyed sorceress watched her go with apprehension. There was just something sinister about that implausibly beautiful woman. The way she had looked at her... like she was the cat and Kashaku the mouse in a deadly game of chase. The woman had the grace of a feline and could have easily avoided being bumped into, the question was: why hadn't she? There was something strange going on, but Kashaku, knowing that she would receive no answers, went off in search of the others. She was hungry.  
  
+++Next Day: Early Morning+++  
  
"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!! GET AWAY FROM ME YOU PERVERTS!!"  
  
Kin ran through the halls of the ship towards the room she shared with Mizuna and Kashaku and was only now starting to get desperate. She was in nothing more than a short towel that just barely covered her necessities and her hair dripped in thick locks, seeming to be dark amber rather than shining gold because of its wet state. Five young men about her age in the ships personnel uniform chased after her waving back scrubbers and soap.  
  
"Wait miss!! We're just doing our job to make sure you receive the best service! Don't you want a relaxing scrub in the hot tub? We'll make sure you're completely clean!"  
  
Her eyebrow twitched. Clean, yeah sure. Luckily, she saw a figure leaning against the wall up ahead; she could enlist their help in beating off the persistent idiots. Unfortunately for her, the person up ahead had red hair, was a demon, controlled the element of wind, spoke in an Irish accent... you get the picture. Just great, now she would have to deal with Jin as well. It seemed that hentai were just attracted to her or something; there could be no other logical explanation.  
  
No other choice apparent, she jumped behind Jin surprising him awake. The previously only half conscious wind master blinked and promptly woke all the way up when he saw five young men in uniform holding bath materials charging towards him. They looked pretty scary if not deranged to say the least. "What the-"  
  
Before he could finish his sentence, Kin prodded him in the back. "Go! Beat them up or something! Defend me damnit!!"  
  
He turned around to find a soaking wet and half-naked fox demoness glaring at him. If he wasn't fully awake before, he certainly was now. He looked her up and down and whistled making her blush furiously. Before he could make a comment though, she prodded him again, this time in the chest.  
  
"Hurry!! They're almost here! Protect me!"  
  
Jin turned around again to see the men almost directly in front of them. They looked quite crazy, and who knew what crazy bath attendants could or would do? Probably rip off Kin's towel and chase her around some more. Hey that wouldn't be such a bad idea....  
  
The golden-haired fox demoness, who was getting quite fed up with the whole situation, gripped her bath towel firmly in one hand and cracked the knuckles of the other. "That's it! I'll kill you all one handed! Don't look at me like that Jin; I saw that perverted look on your face just a second ago! I'll give you a ten second head start. One. Ten!"  
  
And with that, the great chase began. A red-haired passenger and five bath attendants were chased for quite a while before finally being caught. It goes without saying that they were all pretty bruised afterwards. However, a kitsune still sopping wet and in only a towel marched off to her room to put on some clothes with satisfaction. She only "hmpf"ed in response to the questioning gazes she received from fellow early risers. And so the first day of the cruise began.  
  
++++++  
  
The sun was rising, and whereas Mizuna had stood only the night before watching the sunset, she now stood watching it rise. Land was no longer visible, and shining blue-black waves stretched off in all directions. The sun hung low in the sky as of yet, sending pale light bouncing off the endless expanse of water. More questions were plaguing her mind, this time about the past. It seemed as if the faint sense of the pendent was bringing forth more questions that she couldn't answer. The demoness could remember nothing of her childhood, as if her memories had been locked away in the furthest corners of her mind, and she couldn't help but wonder: Who was she?  
  
She imagined that she had a family, wherever they might be at the moment, and she wondered what they were doing; if they missed her. Back in the illusionary world that she, Kin, and Kashaku had been living in, her parents had been distant figures only known to her by their providing positions and fleeting glimpses. They had seemed so faint, and she had wondered what it would be like to be a part of a real family. Perhaps now was her chance. Koenma had said that they would gradually remember their pasts, and as soon as she won the pendent, she would find her true family and have the childhood that she so desperately needed.  
  
A hand on her shoulder interrupted the train of thought. "Hey Mi-chan, what are you doing up so early? Kin-chan went to have an early morning soak and woke me up when she stubbed her toe on my staff on the way out. It's amazing that Yusuke and Kuwabara didn't wake up with all her cursing and yelling!"  
  
Mizuna reluctantly let her hopeful thoughts subside for the moment and focused her attention on her flame-haired friend. It was pretty strange that she hadn't sensed her coming, but she just assumed it was because she had been in such deep thought. She could sense the others, everyone being in different places on the ship except for Yusuke and Kuwabara who were still sleeping. One of her powers seemed to be the ability to sense auras. At the moment, Kashaku's aura was a normal flame red color with a little bit of a yellow tinge.  
  
"Mi-chan, I'm worried about you. You've spent almost the entire time so far standing at the rail of the ship and staring out to sea. You need to let loose and have some fun! Let's go swimming after breakfast; just try to forget the pendent for a little while," Kashaku practically sang.  
  
The blue-haired demoness glanced once over her shoulder at the sparkling ocean once last time before nodding and walking away with her friend to go to breakfast. Her thoughts would just have to wait until later; Kashaku was right, she needed to have some fun while she still could.  
  
+++Fourth Day of the Cruise: Late Morning+++  
  
It was strangely hot for October. The sun shone down mercilessly on the decks of the cruise ship making walking without any shoes quite uncomfortable for anyone who wasn't a demon. It wasn't too hot in the shade though, and many of the passengers had taken to sitting under umbrellas beside whichever of the four swimming pools on deck was closest to their quarters. It had been a lazy four days, with much sleeping in, some swimming, and a trip to the casino. The casino hadn't been such a good idea, Kashaku having lost most of their money, but it had been fun.  
  
Everyone had a bit of a tan, but all the lazing about was been more fun for some than others. Hiei and Touya were completely bored and annoyed with the entire situation, but everyone else seemed to be enjoying their off time, especially Yusuke who could be seen flirting with some of the girls in the ships staff. So, as you can see, the first four days of the cruise had been kind to our heroes, and we find everyone except Hiei and Kuwabara arriving at the nearest pool for some fun.  
  
Kashaku immediately pulled off her T-shirt and shorts, revealing her silver, two-piece Bandeau swimsuit and dived right into the middle of the pool. The pool was pretty crowded, and everyone near her was thoroughly splashed. A few women who were lying on floating bed thingies glared at her before paddling themselves farther away. The sorceress however took no notice and made it her personal duty to try and get Touya in the water, and after that was accomplished, she would attempt to get everyone else in the water as well.  
  
Unfortunately, the said ice demon was sitting cross-legged near the edge of the water with a T-shirt still on, and refused to budge even when she grabbed one of his hands and pulled with her legs braced up against the wall of the pool. He continued to ignore her and had his eyes closed as if in a meditative state and didn't seem to be bothered by her attempts to yank him in. Thoroughly annoyed by now, Kashaku huffily let go and went off to play with some little children until she could think up a better plan.  
  
Mizuna, having now taken off her own T-shirt and shorts, was taking cover in the shade and practically lathering herself with sunscreen. She was wearing a blue one-piece swimsuit that had no sides, and thin strips of fabric like stripes, showing her skin through the gaps, were the only protection from completely bare skin. Her pale skin was extremely sensitive to the sun and she didn't want to be sunburned even slightly so the product she was using was extremely potent, and once it had soaked in she would be able to swim without fear of turning as red as a lobster. She sat down in a conveniently placed plastic chair and put on a pair of sunglasses, watching Kashaku splash around and give kids piggyback rides through the water.  
  
The sweltering day was actually not so horrible for some. Kin was lying stretched out on a long, extended plastic beach chair without any sort of umbrella covering her from the glaring sun, and she actually seemed to be enjoying it. She had on a black string bikini and a black baseball cap pulled down over her eyes. Seemingly asleep, a few guys were brave enough to sit rather closer than necessary and were busy drooling over her. She, however, didn't notice or didn't care. Mizuna looked at her just lying in the sun without any kind of sunscreen or covering and shuddered.  
  
Calculating that enough time had elapsed for her to get into the water, the blue-haired girl began to make her way to the steps of the pool. On her way there, she couldn't help but notice that Jin wasn't anywhere to be seen. What could this mean? He was probably up to something foolish...oh well; it wasn't her problem. She did however deduce that it would have something to do with Kin, and if she stayed near the edge were the fox demoness was she would most likely be splashed. So, she delicately stepped into the pool avoiding small children and waded out across the shallow end to the opposite side of the pool. And just as she had predicted...  
  
"YOU HENTAI!!"  
  
A giant splash soaked everyone near to the opposite edge as someone was shoved violently into the pool. Three guesses who. A now thoroughly wet, and shirtless Jin surfaced and smiled cheerfully. He was immediately surrounded by a group of giggling girls and Mizuna watched as Kin glared and "hmpf"ed before angrily stomping back to her chair and lying down and pulling her cap down over her eyes again, sulking. It was actually a rather normal day considering the routine that had been established since the first day of the cruise. Now all that they needed was....  
  
"Hey you guys! I know you must have only accidentally given me the wrong directions to the pool by mistake. So, what have I missed?"  
  
Mizuna rolled her eyes as Kuwabara trotted up in a pair of ugly swim trunks covered in pink hearts and unknowingly knocked the meditating Touya into the pool. He would never have managed this except for the fact that the ice demon only had his mind tuned to the strong auras around him, and well, Kuwabara didn't have one.  
  
The blue-eyed demon stood up, the water only barely reaching his waist this being the shallow end. His shirt was sticking to his chest and his hair was dripping; his eyebrow twitched. Kuwabara however didn't notice this and was completely taken by surprise when he was suddenly jerked into the pool hitting the water face first. He hit with a huge smack and promptly sunk. Touya pulled off his shirt and glared a warning to the gaggle of girls that were eyeing him before pulling himself back out of the pool to return to meditation.  
  
Yusuke, who was surrounded by a different flock of girls, was showing off all the muscles he had gained from intense training with Genkai and the trial of the Dark Tournament. Sure he had a girlfriend, but she didn't have to know, did she? His boasting was suddenly interrupted when an electric shock ran through his body. He saw everyone else in the water jerk as well and look around for the source, but only he and the rest of the group actually realized what it was. Kin, who had apparently become bored with just lying in the sun, was sitting at the edge of the pool and trailing one hand through the water while looking innocent; however, she had most likely shocked them on purpose.  
  
The black-haired spirit detective glared at her and splashed her with a wave of water. Big mistake. The golden-haired fox demon immediately dived in and tackled him, beginning a tussle. The two weren't actually fighting, and it was kind of fun. Not that either of them would admit it, but they actually felt a kind of brother-sister bond beginning to form. The group of girls that had been previously surrounding Yusuke started cheering for him and booing whenever Kin had the upper hand and just generally acting like cheerleaders. Mizuna raised one eyebrow and got in a better position so that she could see the play fight without being splashed, while Jin just frowned and wished he were the one tussling with the bikini-clad girl instead.  
  
Touya meanwhile continued to meditate, attempting to corner the strange aura that he could faintly sense. A weird feeling that something was going to happen before the cruise was done was starting to creep over him, and maybe this strange aura had something to do with it. He was sure that it was a demon; they were attempting to cover their aura, but they were doing a rather sloppy job. He couldn't get a clear fix on their power level, and it was extremely frustrating. Until he had some confirmation, he wouldn't bring it up to the rest of the group. If there were actually something to worry about, Hiei would most likely bring it up before him anyway. There, he almost had a fix on it....  
  
"Hey Touya, what're you doing?"  
  
A red-haired girl in a silver swimsuit sat down next to him and dangled her feet in the water. She cocked her head to the side and watched the fight between Kin and Yusuke escalate to include cheap tricks like pinching and hair pulling. Seeing that the aura had once again slipped through his fingers, Touya couldn't help but be irritated and annoyed. He had been so close, but Kashaku had just had to come along and interrupt him with her foolishness as usual.  
  
"None of your business," he said coldly. "In fact, perhaps it would be best for you to go and play with your intellectual equals. There are a few human children over there; I'm sure you would fit in just fine."  
  
Kashaku stiffened and Touya immediately regretted what he had said. He hadn't meant it; she had just come up to him at a bad time, interrupting him during his meditation. But before he could say anything to rectify the situation, the yellow-eyed girl abruptly stood up and walked away, grabbing her towel on the way. She headed towards the general direction of their rooms and he could only assume that he had hurt her feelings. He had no experience with these things, he was a demon after all, but he did feel rather uncomfortable.  
  
The fight between Yusuke and Kin was going all out, and Touya watched as they splashed everyone in the near vicinity. He sighed. It wasn't his problem Kashaku was so weak and emotional; he didn't care.... She was just a worthless girl with strange mood swings and the annoying habit of clinging to him. However, the feeling of discomfort continued to grow inside him and he wanted nothing more than to have her hanging all over him again if just to make it go away. The Halloween dance was tonight; perhaps he could make it up to her then.  
  
++++++  
  
"And then he said that I should go play with my intellectual equals, children!"  
  
Kin and Mizuna exchanged looks, both refraining from any comments. The fire sorceress was doing a handstand and didn't really look like she was upset, but both friends could tell that her feelings had been hurt. Her usually smiling face was set in a rather confused expression, and she wasn't singing or dancing around. Whenever Kashaku was in a more serious mood or needed to think she would do handstands just as she was now. It wasn't a very good sign.  
  
The dance was in only a few hours and the girls still had to start getting ready. Yeah, you heard me, a few hours, five to be exact. Hey, a girl needs time to get ready; you don't think that we look miraculously beautiful by just puling on some random clothes and smearing our faces with makeup do you? It could almost be considered an art form, and it takes time to learn how to be ready in less than eight hours.  
  
"Hey, don't worry Ka-chan. I'll beat him up if you want me to! I can take him!" Kin said cracking her knuckles and glaring at the door as if it would make the ice demon appear.  
  
Mizuna interrupted. "You know that's actually bad for your knuckles. We don't have time to waste on pleasantries; the dance is in a few hours and we still haven't even started getting ready. You'll have to save it until later, hurry up."  
  
The golden-eyed kitsune crossed her arms over her chest and blinked. Dances weren't really her style, but she had relented and decided to go, I mean, what else would she do? Hang around the room and sulk? Well, she had been going to, but Mizuna had persuaded her to come anyway. In fact, Mizuna had also picked out both her and Kashaku's costumes as well as her own due to the fact that the golden-haired kitsune hated shopping, and well, Kashaku tended to pick out extremely strange things in the mall. No one was even really sure where she found some of her clothes.  
  
The said sorceress was still doing handstands. Kin poked her foot and she fell over in a heap, still grumbling something about an ice demon that was a big meanie. The other two girls sweatdropped and dragged the STILL mumbling Kashaku off into the bathroom to commence preparations for the dance. It would certainly be a night to remember....  
  
To be continued....  
  
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Kin: Well, there you go. Another chapter and in less than a week! Aren't you proud? I have planned out all the chapters and decided that next chapter will be the Halloween dance, the next the Ball, and the one after than will actually be the one were the action comes in. Don't worry, I'm sure this time. I planned everything out and have an outline. I'm trying to fit in most of the genres, but this is mainly a romance and humor, so if you don't like that then you can just go away. So, was the chapter okay? I tried to put in some underlying seriousness.  
  
Kashaku: There was seriousness? I must have missed it....  
  
Mizuna: Whatever.  
  
Kin: Hmpf. You people are so mean; I don't know why I even bother to update!  
  
Mizuna: Because if you didn't we would gang up on you and hit you with rubber chickens and plastic hammers.  
  
Kin: Oh yeah....  
  
Kashaku: I think that Kin-chan is losing her memory.  
  
Kin: I am not!  
  
Mizuna: That remains to be seen.  
  
Kin: You guys are losing it. Anyway, thanks for reading! I'll try to update again soon, but I think that I might need some reviews to get motivated... Well, see you next chapter!  
  
Review Responses:  
  
SukiYumi: Yes, children in puffy jackets.... What's not to love?  
  
Hedi Dracona: Well I'm really flattered by your review...but what the hell is that supposed to mean...?  
  
Sho-Tosa-Kitto: Yes, you can have a magical cat. Aren't you proud that I updated less than a week after I posted the last chapter? It didn't take me a month this time!  
  
Slytherin's GoldenYouku: Thanks for the giant teacup!! I really appreciate it. I'm sorry that Kurama wasn't in it but he comes back in VERY soon so don't worry, he isn't dead or anything.  
  
Kaija Katake: Yay!! There's no need to bother me; a new chapter is here! Thanks for updating!  
  
Yuna Tidas Lover: Thanks for reviewing! There will be many fluffy situations in the next chapter, so be ready!!  
  
baka-chibi-puffs: Thanks for liking my filler! I really appreciate your reviews!  
  
Raven Ishtar: Hehehe. Glad I could help. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!!  
  
Hiei's1girl: Thanks for reviewing! Reviews make my writing so much easier; I give you a magical cat!  
  
Please Review!! If you send me a nice review I'll give you a shiny new Hoover vacuum cleaner, if you send me a flame I'll be forced to give you a giant killer dust bunny. 


	7. Auras

Disclaimer: *sigh* Do I have to? *lawyers nod* Oh, fine. I don't own... what was it again? Yu Bu Hashuka? Su Yu Shahaka? Who cares... whatever it is, I don't own it. *lawyers glare* What? Oh, sorry about that. I meant; I don't own Tu Yu Habasha. Did I get it right? What? Why are you all looking at me like that?! Oh, fine, I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho... everyone happy now?  
  
Kin: So... welcome to the sixth chapter of Falling Into Fiction. Or it could be the seventh depending on how you look at it. I don't like to count my prologues as chapters though, so even if the story chapter number says seven, I'll call it six in the actual story. I just thought I'd say that in case anyone was wondering why all of my chapters have the wrong number on them. Anyway, I just thought I would take this time to thank any people who may be reading this but not reviewing. Thanks, I hope you like the story anonymous people!!  
  
Mizuna: Don't you have anything to say about the chapter?  
  
Kin: Well, I guess not. I already told everyone that this chapter was going to be the Halloween dance, the next the Ball, and the one after that was going to be pure action. I think that's all...  
  
Kashaku: You better fix stuff between Touya and me!!  
  
Kin: *raises eyebrow* Stuff?  
  
Kashaku: Yeah!! And you better fix it!  
  
Kin: Or what?  
  
Kashaku: Or I'll do something mean!!  
  
Kin: I feel so threatened....  
  
Mizuna: Are you attempting to be sarcastic?  
  
Kin: And what if I am?!  
  
Mizuna: Then you aren't doing a very good job of it. Leave it to the professionals.  
  
Kashaku: Does that mean when you grow up you're going to become a professional sarcastic lady? How much money does that pay?  
  
Mizuna & Kin: *sweatdrop*  
  
Kin: Well, anyway... Enjoy the chapter; it will contain much fluff and other assorted things. Try to be patient; I know the storyline is progressing rather slowly, but it's getting there and it'll go WAY faster after a couple more chapters. Okay, read away!  
  
"blah" speaking  
  
'blah' thinking  
  
/blah/ conscience  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~  
  
Falling Into Fiction  
  
Chapter 6: Auras  
  
A huge room had been dedicated to the Halloween dance and contained a writhing mass of witches, demons, historical figures, and anything else you could think of. Loud music controlled by a DJ was blaring out over large speakers and could be heard even outside on the deck where some people were loitering around and smoking or drinking. There was a buffet table inside with tons of different foods and two large punch bowls with pink liquid resembling lemonade inside of them. The entire mass of people was dancing and clustered around the DJ stand, and the people who didn't really want to dance hung around the back or leaned up against the walls.  
  
The casino and other entertainment centers had been shut down for tonight, and everything was focused on the dance. Even the captain, a jolly, fat man, made an appearance dressed as Julius Caesar and flanked by ship personnel dressed as Roman soldiers. It had only been just over a half hour since the dance started and already everything was in full throttle. You had to admit, the cruise line had gone all out, even including fake spider webs, jack 'o lanterns, skeletons and tons of other decorations. In only a day the entire ship had been transformed into a representation of a ghost ship, and it actually looked good.  
  
"This is stupid."  
  
A small group of four guys were leaning against the wall and looking as if they were waiting for someone. Many girls in various cutesy and "sexy" costumes had approached them and asked to dance, but had all been declined politely or otherwise. The blue-haired young man that had just spoken crossed his arms over his chest and closed his eyes, blocking out the throng of dancing bodies in front of him. He had opted to wear the fighting clothes he had worn to the Dark Tournament rather than suffer the indignity of dressing as someone else. He leaned against the wall, thinking about the red-haired girl that he was waiting for specifically.  
  
Yusuke gave Touya a look that clearly asked, "What the hell is your problem?" and proceeded to vanish into the throng of people, sick of waiting after only thirty minutes. A bunch of girls quickly surrounded him, complimenting him on his vampire costume. He had simply put on a tux and black cape, slicked his hair as usual, and put in some fake pointy teeth, but they didn't really seem to care in the least. Soon they were lost in the mass of apparitions and couldn't be found no matter how hard you tried, demon vision or not.  
  
The other three guys, however, remained together, waiting. Touya stood leaning against the wall, Kuwabara staring at the door so as to see the exact moment when Kin walked in, and Jin sitting against the wall with his arms behind his head and his eyes closed. He too had opted to wear his training clothes rather than dress up as someone else, and a lot of girls were standing across the room and drooling over his bare chest. To tell the truth, both demons were getting a headache from the extremely loud music and strong scent of sweat and adrenaline, and ignoring it was becoming increasingly harder no matter how far away from any speakers they were.  
  
Luckily, the girls chose that moment to arrive. No, there wasn't any scene where everyone turned around and gawped at their beauty, but you could definitely say that the people they walked past noticed them. They cautiously skirted the edge of the dance floor, careful not to be pulled into the mob of dancers, and made their way over to where the guys were.  
  
Kuwabara immediately went for Kin to grab her hands and most likely go off in a tizzy about his love for her, but he didn't really make it that far. A foot stuck out conveniently in his way tripped him and he fell flat on his face. He hadn't worn a costume, and now his T-shirt was probably stained with punch and food. Oh well, no one cared anyway. The person who had tripped him was of course the cheerfully smiling Jin who had stood up just seconds ago when he had heard the girls come in.  
  
"You're absolutely stunning," he commented Kin in hopes of getting in her good graces.  
  
Kin was actually looking rather sulky. Mizuna had apparently forced her into an angel costume and she wasn't too happy about it. Her long golden hair was in a single braid coming over her shoulder while her long bangs still fell into her eyes as usual. There were small wings strapped to her back that matched perfectly with her pure white dress as well. It was an off the shoulder dress trimmed in silver lace with long sleeves that went past her wrists and a long flowing skirt, while the torso fit snugly. She had of course refused to wear shoes or to take the golden bangles off her wrists and ankles, but it just added to the effect.  
  
"Yeah, whatever," was the huffy response.  
  
Touya left his position leaning against the wall to approach Kashaku. "You look...nice," was all he said as he observed her. She was dressed as a devil, in tight, black leather pants and a red tank top with no straps. Her hair was loose and her nails were painted black, while she also had red high- heels and devil horns poking out on top of her head. Her unearthly yellow eyes just made her look more the part, and drew attention being the only other color visible. She seemed rather less happy than usual, but she didn't seem to be mad at him specifically. However, his deduction was shot when she just gave him a blank look before turning away; she was apparently going to ignore him.  
  
"Well, are you going to dance or just stand around staring at each other all night?" Mizuna asked while stepping on Kuwabara's back on her way over to the group. Whether this was on purpose or not was unknown.  
  
The blue-haired demoness was dressed in the traditional garb of feudal times. Her kimono was a deep, shimmering blue color with paler blue and white clouds scudding across it like the sky at dusk. She wore pale purple slippers to match her obi and had her hair up in dark wooden chopsticks. The completely bored expression that she still retained made her seem more like a china doll than anything else, and she had her hands tucked in her sleeves as if she had worn these clothes all her life.  
  
Kin glared at her, looking for all the world like a disgruntled angel. "I don't have to dance if I don't want to! Apparently, the only person I have to listen to is God," she said haughtily and with a rather exaggerated sniff.  
  
A raised eyebrow was her only reply from the water demoness before being totally ignored. In fact, Mizuna was busy writing something on a small piece of paper that looked rather like a nametag. She slipped the piece of paper into what seemed to be the kind of necklace you wore for backstage passes or student ID and handed it to the also curious Jin. He read the nametag, grinned, and slipped it over his head. Want to try and guess what it said? Yep, "God" in big black letters.  
  
"There you go," Mizuna said. "Go have fun children, and remember, don't do drugs or take candy from strangers," she finished sarcastically. The now almost fully enraged Kin was dragged into the crowd; at a loss for words she was so angry. However, the "angel" and "God" as he was now to be called were lost from sight in only a few seconds. Mizuna nodded in approval. That left only....  
  
Kashaku was still ignoring Touya in favor of staring at a fascinating spot on the wall. Well, Mizuna assumed it was fascinating by the look of utter concentration that the other girl's features were set in. It looked like Touya needed a little prodding in the right direction, and well, Mizuna had nothing better to do at the moment than meddle in her friend's love lives. She decided that she would just go with the direct approach and get this over with.  
  
"Touya, say sorry to Kashaku. Kashaku, get over it," she said in monotone.  
  
The two stared at her for a moment before looking at each other. Touya looked uncomfortable, but decided that perhaps the demoness was right. "I'm... sorry."  
  
Kashaku immediately grinned. "Finally! Now we can go dance!" she sang as she dragged the now completely and utterly confused ice demon with her towards the dance floor. With everyone else lost to sight, Mizuna simply decided to wait outside for a while until the results of the costume contest were announced. The extremely loud pop/punk music was starting to make her ears ache and she wondered how the other demons among the crowd were standing it. Probably too busy with each other to notice. She smirked. Walking over Kuwabara once again, she started towards the door before suddenly stopping. There it was, the aura.  
  
Turning around, Mizuna searched among the crowd of dancing youth to try and locate the mysterious demon aura that had been flitting through her senses for almost the entire trip so far. Touya was also able to sense the aura for a while now; Mizuna had seen him go into deep meditation randomly for the last couple of days. He probably didn't notice now, being too busy with Kashaku, but the blue-haired demoness could definitely sense it. The aura was hard to pin down and she could only get flashes of jagged black and red, but she was sure that the demon was somewhere in the crowd of dancing teenagers. She braced herself and entered the throng.  
  
Immediately she was in a mass of sound and movement, being swept away on the waves of adrenaline pumping through the crowd. It seemed like thousands of strange faces were whipping around her so fast that she couldn't even fully register them in her brain before they were gone. Her senses were being overloaded and the aura that she had been chasing after had gone; she wasn't even sure if it had even been there in the first place anymore.  
  
Someone shoved her and she nearly fell, her kimono slipping down off her shoulder. The wild auras of the people were mixing and invading the blue- haired demoness' own mind in a swirl of chaos. Starting to panic, Mizuna began to elbow her way through the crowd without so much as a sorry and eventually broke out of the mob after what seemed like an eternity.  
  
She stumbled; her breathing was harsh and her heart was beating so fast she was sure it would explode. Taking some calming breaths, Mizuna slowly calmed down and got her heart rate down to a more normal level. Pulling her kimono back into place she quickly walked out onto the deck, ignoring the catcalls from the drunks hanging around the door. The ocean was just barely reflected by the light of the moon, and a silver spot on the waves rippled in a swell. A figure already stood at the spot at the railing that Mizuna had claimed as her own, wrapped in the darkness.  
  
'Who...?' The figure turned their head to the side, letting the profile of their face be outlined in moonlight. Sharp features and narrow, red eyes regarded her with what could almost be considered vague curiosity. However, it was quickly replaced with contempt and another, more unidentifiable emotion. Mizuna gave Hiei an equally unreadable look and came to stand next to him, looking out at the dark sea.  
  
To tell the truth, Mizuna hadn't seen Hiei, well, actually since the very beginning of the trip. He apparently didn't sleep in the guys' room across the hall, and no one was really sure where he was most of the time. There were a few flashes of his aura, but he was hiding it quite well. He didn't really seem to want to interact with anyone at all until he was needed for the mission. Glancing over at him, Mizuna searched his face for any signs of loneliness but couldn't find even a trace.  
  
Hiei suddenly turned his head, catching Mizuna looking at him. "What are you staring at?" he asked with narrowed eyes. The water demoness looked away embarrassed at having been caught, a slight blush across her cheeks.  
  
She coughed. "Nothing... nothing."  
  
Her silent companion gave her a suspicious look before once again turning his eyes towards the ocean. Mizuna sighed in relief and let her gaze soak up the perfect beauty of the night: the moonlight glancing off the waves, the stars dancing in the sky. The panic of just a few minutes ago seemed suddenly distant and the flickering aura of the unknown demon also seemed unimportant. The only thing that mattered was now, the contentment that was seeping in around her, the comfort of another. She was surprised to realize that Hiei was part of her calm, but she simply brushed it off as her imagination.  
  
The fire demon from her thoughts was also slightly relaxing in the feeling of calmness and security that was suddenly enveloping the pair. Hiei couldn't help but feel some sort of connection between him and the water demoness. He hadn't even known her for very long, but there was just something about her that urged him to trust her. Suddenly realizing his relaxed aura, he tensed and cursed himself for such foolish weakness. He used his demon speed and disappeared only to reappear up on one of the smokestacks of the ship. He looked down on the now confused-looking Mizuna and narrowed his eyes. The girl was trouble; he would have to stay away from her.  
  
Mizuna meanwhile, was looking around trying to locate Hiei. Realizing that he must have used his demon speed to leave, she leaned on the rail and looked once again out at the sparkling sea. Her heart was for some reason aching, and she couldn't help but feel that she had lost something very important.  
  
++++++  
  
Jin was surprised to find that Kin was an extremely good dancer. Once she was on the floor, she got swept up in the adrenaline of the crowd and went wild. Her movements were quick and untamed. Her braid came undone and her hair spilled down her back long and shining gold. Eyes teasing, the kistune's furious dance was difficult to follow, but Jin was always up to a challenge. He matched her movements perfectly and grinned at her when she looked surprised. He hadn't almost won the Dark Tournament for nothing; he was a very agile demon after all.  
  
However, unknown to the furiously dancing couple, a few of the girls that had previously been ogling the wind master's chest were now hatching a devious plot....  
  
Before Kin knew it, she was being pushed into the mass of writhing people. Somehow, a raven-haired girl dressed as a cat had managed to wedge herself in between the pair and had pushed her off into the crowd. Now completely lost, Kin searched for the red-haired wind master but could not find him. People continued to dance around her and she spared them no courtesy as she waded through the crowd, elbowing when necessary. Soon, she broke out of the mass of costume-clad people only to find that Jin hadn't broken out as well; he was still in there somewhere. She huffed and narrowed her eyes.  
  
Meanwhile, Jin was blinking in confusion as four girls surrounded him lead by a girl in a striped cat costume. "Um, hi?"  
  
"Good choice, ditching that bitchy blond for," she flipped her hair here, "for me, the raven-haired beauty," she said with a coy smile, fingering her skin-tight cat costume for emphasis.  
  
Jin scratched his head. "Well, I wasn't really aware that I had ditched anyone," he said politely, hiding his annoyance after she had practically called Kin a bitch.  
  
"Oh, you did. Don't worry, we took care of her."  
  
Here Jin actually raised an eyebrow. "Really now. Well, I'm sorry to spoil your fun, but I really have to go and look for 'that bitchy blond' as you so politely dubbed her." This was the closest he had ever come to being angry although he still looked friendly on the outside. He attempted to slip past the girl, but her cronies blocked his path.  
  
"Oh please don't go! I only wanted one dance with you," the lead girl asked, her face set into the perfect imitation of pure innocence. When the red-haired demon still looked undecided, she put on the water works.  
  
Her eyes widened and shone with unshed tears. "P-please, just one d-dance?" she asked, still practically yelling to be heard over the pounding music and noise.  
  
Before the wind master could answer, an angel suddenly seemed to come out of nowhere only to push the raven-haired girl violently. "You bitch! He's mine and don't you forget it, so get lost!" Here she glared at the other scantily clad girls who were now helping their leader up. "And I don't want to see any of you ever again!"  
  
With that she grabbed the stunned Jin around the wrist and stomped off. The small group of girls watched them go with as much dignity as they could muster. The raven-haired girl pulled at her striped costume with nervous energy and stalked towards the door with what little grace she could summon up as well.  
  
Kin watched the girl go with a satisfied air and put her hands up around Jin's neck with what would probably be considered as possessive to those who did not know her or to those in denial. She swayed to the slow song, still not really paying attention until Jin coughed. She snapped her head towards him. "What?"  
  
He smiled cheerfully. "Oh, nothing."  
  
Narrowed golden eyes appraised him. "Don't think I like you or anything. I was just defending my pride you know, I can't have people just coming over and shoving me around!"  
  
The red-haired wind master's eyes widened in feigned innocence. "I didn't say anything...."  
  
"Well, good," she said with a sniff.  
  
"But you know..."  
  
Kin gave him a suspicious look while he continued to look innocent.  
  
"I wasn't really aware that I was 'yours,'" he said widening his eyes further for maximum cuteness. While he was saying this, his hand was also making its way down from the safety of the kitsune's waist down to forbidden territory. "Not that I mind...."  
  
And that was when Kin noticed. "YOU HENTAI!!"  
  
++++++  
  
"So, you wanna get out of here and go for a walk under the stars? Maybe we could go to my room afterwards..."  
  
Touya's eyebrow twitched. Why wouldn't this idiot leave Kashaku alone? For quite some time now, a rather tall boy with flaxen hair and bright green eyes had been interrupting their dancing in favor of asking the red-haired sorceress to go on a walk with him on the deck of the ship. It was getting rather annoying right about now, I mean, Kashaku wasn't actually stupid enough to go with him anyway right? Right?  
  
His thinking was interrupted when Kashaku finally answered the boy. "Okay, let's go!"  
  
The ice demon sweatdropped. Okay, maybe he was overestimating her.... Before she could walk off, he sighed and grabbed her arm, forcing her to jerk backwards into his chest. "You'll stay away if you know what's good for you," he said coolly.  
  
The boy looked like he was about to interrupt, so the blue-haired demon glared his worst and watched as the boy turned tail like the whimpering human that he was.  
  
"That was fun! I want to dance now!" Kashaku said and began to do the Macarena. Touya, not having heard of this dance, and perhaps questioning his partner's sanity once again, chose not to comment. He instead crossed his arms over his chest and watched as she clapped her hands and jumped to face another direction, only to start the entire crazy dance over again.  
  
Kashaku, realizing that Touya hadn't joined her, turned around and put her hands on her hips. "Come on, come on, do the Macarena with me!" she said while putting it to the tune of 'Locomotion.' When he only raised an eyebrow, she blew out her breath, making her bangs puff up. She pouted for a second before finally realizing why he wasn't joining her.  
  
"Oh, I know, you don't know how to do the Macarena! That's okay, we can just do the chicken dance!" and yelling this over the music, she began to flap her arms wildly and do the chicken dance while Touya watched her with what could only be called horror. There was now actually an open circle around them about three feet in circumference, but the ice demon couldn't really find a reason to blame the people for wanting to avoid an obviously insane girl doing the chicken dance during Britney Spears' 'Toxic.'  
  
After a few seconds, a slow song came on, much to Touya's relief. However, the red-haired girl only paused for a second the think. "This is perfect music for the Macarena! I know, I'll teach you how to do it!"  
  
The blue-haired demon interrupted her. "No."  
  
Kashaku tilted her head to the side. "Well what else could we do? There's nothing else left to do but cry from the empty soul that resides within my rotting flesh!" she said dramatically while making a strange pose and pretending to cry.  
  
Another foot of space was added to the circumference of the empty circle that surrounded them. Without saying anything else, Touya grabbed her arm once again and pulled her to his chest before putting his hands around her waist as he saw the other humans doing. He felt the red-haired sorceress shrug before putting her hands around his neck.  
  
"Well, if you wanna be boring...." She said quietly this time.  
  
Touya chose not to reply and instead focused on the feel of her chest against his, her hands around his neck. It was actually kind of... well... nice. Not that he would admit it, but he was actually starting to get used to Kashaku's random acts of strangeness. She was the complete opposite of him, but that was what made her so magnetic. Well, not that he was attracted to her or anything; it was just something that he had observed. In fact, it seemed like he had been observing Kashaku more than he had been observing ningens culture as has been his original intention.  
  
The red-haired girl from his thoughts suddenly stuck her face right up in front of his, startling him. "What 'cha thinking about Touya?" she asked, her nose only inches from his.  
  
"Nothing," he replied icily. He made a vow that he would start to observe ningens as a whole rather than just Kashaku, but looking into her unearthly yellow eyes, he couldn't help but think that it would be harder than it should be.  
  
++++++  
  
"There were so many fantastic costumes that it was hard for me to choose just two, but after careful deliberation I have come up with the winners! I would like to thank you all for participating! And without further ado, the winners are...."  
  
Kashaku gave Mizuna a curious look as the water demoness slipped in the door just as the winners were being announced. Where had the blue-haired girl been all this time? It was already time to announce the winners with the best Halloween costumes. The two winners, one female and one male would do the honorary slow dance in just a minute.  
  
"The winners are.... Mr. Takamurai and Ms. Surashi! Please come up to the front to collect your gift certificates for a free massage! Come on now, don't be shy!"  
  
A tall, very handsome boy with a head of dark curls and dressed in an extremely elaborate and striking medieval king's robe, walked up to the front with a jaunty walk and a grin to the group of friends he had come from. When the boy reached the stage, he bowed to the crowd and crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for the other winner to step up for a dance. He didn't have to wait long. Kashaku watched in surprise as the same woman that she had bumped into at the very beginning of the trip walked sinuously up to the stage.  
  
The woman was dressed as an Egyptian queen, most likely Cleopatra, and she still had that almost impossible beauty, now strangely reminding Kashaku of a cat. Her short ebony hair was dusted with gold and a fancy headdress speckled with gems was upon her brow. Her bright green eyes were outlined darkly in gold and black, while the slinky white dress with long slits offset her graceful figure and showed her long shapely legs. There were a lot of golden bracelets, armlets and rings on her body each with a different gem inlaid in them, and even a jeweled collar accenting her long, slender neck.  
  
Everyone watched in awe as the woman walked fluidly up to the stage and gave a small wave and nod of thanks to the crowd. She smiled and the crowd sighed almost all at once, marveling in her beauty. Kashaku however, watched the woman warily. The woman was once again smiling a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, one of those smiles that you think is beautiful and then you think back on it and you realize that they didn't really mean it. The fire sorceress gripped Touya's sleeve tightly and watched the cat-like woman and handsome boy begin to dance.  
  
Beside the woman, the boy seemed clumsy and awkward when he might otherwise have been considered a good dancer. The fluid grace and litheness of the woman drew everyone's attention as she danced like she had wings on her feet. Kashaku had to admit that she was a really graceful dancer, but there was just something that she didn't like about the strange woman. Looking up at Touya, she actually saw to her surprise that he was almost glaring openly at the woman.  
  
Mizuna had also noticed. It was the woman; she was the one with the aura. Flashes of red and black were now accosting her mind as she watched her dance, shaming the boy with her fluidity. The water demoness glared at the woman and was even further annoyed when the woman smirked. At her. So, the woman had known that there were people trying to sense her aura and had been giving them flashes of it to tease them. Mizuna was positive that she was a demon, what kind she wasn't quite sure, but a demon nonetheless. It wasn't good news, there was no innocence in the woman's position, and there was some reason that she was here. And it wasn't for a visit.  
  
The dance ended and everyone applauded. The aura had once again disappeared, and so had the woman. As the crowd surged back on to the dance floor, Mizuna tried to follow the woman with her eyes but couldn't. She cursed. Without surprise she noticed Touya glaring angrily into the crowd as well. He had obviously sensed it as well and was quite annoyed with the woman who dared to play games.  
  
"It seems that she escaped."  
  
Mizuna gave Touya a flat look and walked away. She was done. Being toyed with didn't sit well with her, and she didn't want to hang around the dance any longer. She assumed that the woman must have been sent by Takashi, and for the first time she actually considered Takashi in the light of him being an actual threat. He had seemed so unreal and distant, but now it was time to consider him dangerous.  
  
+++Next Morning: Fifth Day of the Cruise+++  
  
"So, who the hell was that woman anyway?" Kin asked while poking at a piece of broccoli with her fork disgustedly.  
  
Mizuna gave her a preoccupied look. "I'm pretty sure that she was sent by Takashi."  
  
"You mean that evil guy who wants the pendants or whatever?"  
  
The blue-haired girl's eyebrow ticked. "Yes. I suspect that the woman will strike in a few days, towards the end of the cruise. She has been teasing us with her aura, making us wonder where she is, but now that she has revealed herself, it is quite possible that she will attack."  
  
Kin continued to poke her broccoli. "So?"  
  
Mizuna lost her patience. "So? Is that all you can say?"  
  
"The demon won't attack until the ball you know. Well, unless she's an idiot. I doubt she really cares if all the people on this ship die, and the time we'll be most hindered is at the time of the ball. We'll be trying to take care of the innocent people and be more likely to get killed," the golden fox demon said while still looking suspiciously at the green vegetable on her fork.  
  
Her blue-haired friend sat in silence for a moment contemplating the information she had just been given. It was probably true that the demon wouldn't attack until the ball.... Perhaps Kin was right, there was no sense in worrying until it happened anyway. There were only two days until the ball, they had that long to relax. Mizuna suddenly felt sure that at that ball, their adventure would truly begin. Everything would be different from that point on; she knew it.  
  
To be continued....  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~  
  
Kin: Okay, I am very sorry about the lateness of this chapter... once again. I seem to get writers block very often now. Over the course of this chapter I have come to realize that my story has no plotline anymore. I am going to bring it directly back the original plot in the next chapter, and their will be a lot of action and stuff. I'm going to have the ball be the next chapter, but it will also cut to the action and adventure. I'm sorry about the wait and the boringness.  
  
Kashaku: *yawn* You're telling me!  
  
Kin: *glares and paint chips off wall*  
  
Kashaku: O.O  
  
Mizuna: You should just say goodbye and do the Thank-you's. People don't want to listen to your ramblings after so long a wait for a chapter.  
  
Kin: *sulky* You're the one that was bugging me to update...  
  
Kashaku: I'll say good bye then!  
  
Mizuna: You just did.  
  
Kashaku: Oh.  
  
Review Responses:  
  
SukiYumi: Yay!! You reviewed first! Okay... that's all.  
  
Slytherin's GoldenYouku: Yay! Well, you can tell your friend that next chapter will be the beginning of the continuation of the plot. I will actually start the adventure and danger and all the other stuff like that. Thanks for the ice cream cone!!  
  
Hiei 17: I hope you liked the Mizuna/Hiei moment in there. I'll try to add in some more for you!!  
  
Riyo Lee: I'm glad you like the story, thanks for the compliment! It's reviewers like you who actually motivate me to update more than once a year. I'm also glad that you can relate to the characters, I hope it adds to the whole overall enjoyment you derive from the story.  
  
LoneWolf7423: I hope you liked the Mizuna/Hiei stuff in this chapter, there will be more to come! Okay, I put the Hoover in the mail and I hope you get it soon. P.S. you spelled it correctly.  
  
Hiei's1girl: Sorry it took me so long to update, I've been super busy and stuff. If you're still reading this I commend you.  
  
yusuke's1girl: Sorry to keep you bored for so long! I'll update sooner after this... ^_^'  
  
Please Review!! If you send me a nice review I'll give you a fluffy little chipmunk, if you send me a flame I will be forced to give you a drowned rat with the plague. Thanks!! 


	8. Battles

Disclaimer: *sigh* Do I have to? *lawyers nod* Well, too bad! I'm not gonna, and you can't make me!! I refuse!! I have the right to say or not say whatever I want, and I refuse to say the disclaimer! *cheering and applause from other authors* Oh, yeah!! It's a free country, and I can not do whatever I don't wanna do!! *lawyers look smug and hold up copyright* Oh yeah, crap, this country also has laws... hehe, I forgot for a second there. *scratches head and looks around for federal agents* Um... I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho.  
  
Kin: Yep, this will be a good chapter, I can tell.  
  
Mizuna: *raises eyebrow* What makes you think that? If your other chapters are what's to go on then I really don't think that-  
  
Kashaku: I interrupted you!  
  
Mizuna: *annoyed* Yeah, I kind of figured that out on my own.  
  
Kashaku: *nods* Good. Because if you didn't I would be forced to wonder how smart you really are.  
  
Kin: *rolls eyes* And we wouldn't want that now would we?  
  
Kashaku: Nope. ^_^  
  
Kin & Mizuna: *sweatdrop*  
  
Kashaku: I like cheetos.  
  
Mizuna: We know.  
  
Kin: I'm starting the chapter now. I'll try to make it very exciting and stuff, it skips ahead to the farewell ball just to let you know. Okay, enough of my stalling. Enjoy!  
  
WARNING: EXPLICIT VIOLENCE, BLOOD AND GORE  
  
"blah" speaking  
  
'blah' thinking  
  
/blah/ conscience  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~  
  
Falling Into Fiction  
  
Chapter 7: Battles  
  
+++Afternoon: Seventh Day of the Cruise+++  
  
"Well, today's finally the day of the ball. We'll get to kick some demon ass tonight...."  
  
"Thanks for stating the obvious Yusuke, I'm sure I never would have guessed without your personal help in the matter," Kin said, itching for a fight.  
  
Yusuke narrowed his dark brown eyes and glared at her. "I wouldn't have to state the obvious if you were smart enough to figure it out on your own."  
  
Kin balled her hands up into fists. Everyone was on edge because today was the day that the demon would attack. This morning, there had been ten long scratches on the front of the girls' door as if someone had run claws down it, a warning, or perhaps a taunt. There had been no more flashes of the mysterious woman's aura, but they all knew that she was here somewhere, biding her time, waiting to strike. It seemed that tonight would be the night, and a nervous energy was boiling up like a pot left on the burner.  
  
The entire team had met up earlier this same morning, even Hiei, and had discussed the wisest approach. They had decided to try and stick together at the ball, clumped in a group if need be, for if they were separated they would be much weaker when the enemy attacked. Things were starting to get serious, and the girls were beginning to realize that this wasn't just a game; it was real. They were actually going to have to fight, and they weren't even sure how. It was easy for Koenma to say that they were strong, but it was also true that they had never handled weapons before or used any kind of magic.  
  
And so we find Kin, attempting to alleviate her frustration by goading Yusuke into a fight, which really isn't that hard to do. But before the two could pounce on each other and begin their grudge match, someone stepped between them.  
  
"Kin, are you still trying to antagonize Yusuke into a fight? It really isn't that hard to do, there is no pride in the ability to annoy people," Mizuna said in monotone, her emotionless voice betraying nothing.  
  
Before Kin could reply, she was being dragged off in the opposite direction. "Wait Mi-chan! I was just about to kill Yusuke," the golden- haired girl complained as her friend led her off towards their room. She saw the black-haired boy smirk at her and shot him one last glare over her shoulder before he was lost to sight around the corner.  
  
Mizuna rolled her sapphire blue eyes. "We must get ready for the ball. I have already told Kashaku to meet us in our room, let's go."  
  
+++Evening: The Ball+++  
  
"Stop fidgeting," Mizuna said calmly, putting a hand on Kin's arm.  
  
The golden-haired kitsune shrugged her off. "I can't, they're going to attack soon," she growled, her voice bubbling with barely repressed tension. For the ball, all the girls had chosen what they were going to wear themselves and Kin had spared no expense where money was concerned.  
  
She had on an ankle length, sleeveless black silk Chinese style dress with two long, daring slits up both sides all the way up to the thighs. The neck was high and bordered in gold with the popular frog and toggle going diagonally down to under her right arm while graceful golden scrollwork flowers were stitched across the chest. But the most beautiful thing about the dress was the bright gold stitched Chinese dragon curling all the way around the bottom of the dress; it's scales done in shimmering light green. Her hair was half up in a bun with gold and pale green chopsticks while the rest flowed down her back and almost to her knees. Her makeup was done in all pale, shimmering gold and dark black while she also wore tall black stiletto heels that laced up her calves. Her golden bangles were of course part of her attire.  
  
Mizuna was wearing a long floor-length, shimmering purple satin dress that had a low scoop neck with spaghetti straps and a low dipping back. Frothing waves of silver had been stitched so intricately around the bottom of the dress that they looked almost as if they were moving and crashing just as they would have had they been real. Just above the waves, a shining crescent moon had been sewn as well as a lot of stars that faded up into the pale lavender of the dress' bodice. To match, she wore elbow-length purple gloves also of satin, a silver-wire belt set with amethysts draped artfully on one hip and silver chocker inlaid with amethysts as well. Her hair was up in a 'messy' bun with a few soft curls floating down and amethyst stones sprinkled throughout. Her makeup was done in silver with soft purple accents.  
  
Altogether not the best things to fight in, but it WAS a ball after all.  
  
"I hate to tell you this, but ripping that napkin up into a million pieces is not going to speed up time in any way."  
  
The golden-eyed kitsune glared at her stoic friend and growled low in her throat like a feral animal. "Yeah, whatever," she said but she dropped the small pieces of napkin on the refreshment table.  
  
The entire group was clustered loosely around one of the refreshment tables although moderately apart so as not to attract too much attention. Jin and Yusuke were arguing about battle tactics, Hiei was just there and Kashaku was bugging Touya of course.  
  
Kashaku was wearing a tight fitting halter dress with a low neck and a slit up the right side. It shimmered in the light and shone iridescently in all the colors of fire, red being the dominant although there were flickers of bronze, yellow, orange and even purple, blue and green. She wore short dark black gloves and black platform sandals with what looked to be a ruby set in the top. Her hair was up in a bun with two long pieces of hair looping down and around her ears gracefully and a ruby encrusted barrette glimmered bronze at her bun. Her makeup was done in shimmering bronze and red with dark red lipstick to match, accenting the rubies that were also sprinkled through her almost as red hair. In the light she shimmered and seemed to move as a flame, dancing in an array of eye-catching and enticing colors.  
  
Kin and Mizuna were a little bit apart from the others, holding punch that they had no intentions of drinking, trying to look as if they were having fun when they weren't.  
  
"Kin, I've been wanting to talk to you and Kashaku for a while now about something. Do you remember when Koenma said that our pasts would come back to us over time, eventually?"  
  
Golden eyes blinked in confusion. "Ano, yeah. So?"  
  
Mizuna took that as a cue to continue. "Well, I was thinking...." Here she paused, seemingly thinking before proceeding. "I'm very curious as to where my parents are and... I was wondering if you felt the same. Maybe we should look for them. I want to meet my real family and to know what they're like." She said this with a hint of hidden longing.  
  
"You know, I never really thought about it until you mentioned it just now. But, to tell the truth, I really want to see my real parents too," the kitsune answered with a slightly wondering look on her face. She hadn't known that her friend was so passionate about something. It seemed that Mizuna had the secret longing for a family.  
  
The blue-haired demoness smiled a real smile then. "Maybe after we get the pendant we can-" The lights suddenly went out, sending the entire ballroom into darkness. The room was enormous with refreshment tables set up all around the walls and tons of gleaming guests packed no the dance floor to a waltz looking like gleaming bugs under the sun. When the lights went out the orchestra immediately stopped playing and voices broke out all over the room.  
  
"Here it comes," the water demoness said softly, betraying nothing; it just wasn't her way. She could feel the others gathering around and the vague moonlight from a high window caught in Kin's eyes and made them glow a rather creepy golden color.  
  
There were suddenly screams from the opposite side of the room as something most likely bad happened to some guests. The screams moved like wildfire until it seemed as if something must be hunting among the crowd. The group could only wait uneasily. The lights came back on a few moments later revealing their enemies. Immediately, the other passengers began to scream in terror and bolt for the nearest exit in total pandemonium.  
  
It was apparent why when the ugliest thing that the water demoness had ever seen reared up almost directly in front of them. It had long claws and teeth caked with both dried blood black in the light and new fresh crimson blood running wetly. It hunched over grotesquely as if it's creator had been playing some kind of joke on it when it had molded it. It was scaly or slimy, too hard to tell, and it had the face of what looked like a bull crossed with a snake and long arms like an ape, giving it a long reach.  
  
All the blood ran out of her face as the blue-haired girl watched in horror. The thing spit what seemed to be a bloody lump onto the floor and put on what could only be the semblance of a savage grin. The three girls had never been exposed to anything so gory; they had never even seen a dead body before, and only Mizuna's demon blood kept her from vomiting on the spot. She made an assumption that her two friends would most likely be feeling the same and watched frozen in shock as she saw Touya suddenly jump in front of her and release Shards of Winter, not fazed at all, beginning a bloody battle with the creature.  
  
She glanced around to find that the other members of her team were in action, fighting the grotesque creatures. Snapping out of her disgusted stupor, the water demoness raised a wall of water just in time to save herself from being impaled by the claws of one of the creatures. She wasn't really sure what she was capable of, but hell, now was as good a time as any to find out. She pulled her two bladed fans from somewhere in the folds of her dress and held them aloft. They felt cool in her hands, and she knew what to do.  
  
Kashaku watched in amazement as her very own friend Mizuna slashed a monster in half using a set of bladed fans. When had her friend turned into a killing machine? The last time she'd looked, the blue-haired water demoness had been a nice if not sarcastic and icy girl, oh the horror! She was the friend of a serial killer!! Which reminded her. She looked up at the ugly greenish-purple creature in front of her and wrinkled her nose. It didn't take demon senses to smell the death on it.  
  
The thing didn't waste time; it attacked immediately. Kashaku wasn't really sure what to do. I mean she didn't have her staff or anything.... Immediately as she thought this, her staff appeared in her hands. She had never handled a staff before much less a bladed one, but she held it aloft and swung it down in an arc on the creature's head before it finished its wild swipe. It's skull split open, spilling brain and liquid onto the floor. The red- haired sorceress blinked and considered herself lucky. She was unskilled with a staff, but she thought she could manage. These things weren't the smartest beings in the world after all. She continued to slash at the creatures, doing fairly well and getting into the hang of it well enough to get by. After all, she had the advantage of a long range with her long, black-bladed scythe.  
  
Bending down to pick up a dropped penny, Kashaku just managed to narrowly avoid being run through. "Hey, look, I found a penny!! It's shiny...." she said covetously.  
  
Meanwhile, Kin was having the time of her life. For some reason fighting seemed to come naturally, and although it was hard to use her claws due to the short range, she was able to merely swipe them through the air and lightning would burst from each finger in a trail and smash into her foe. Although the blood and gore had shocked her at first, she had grown numb to it. She knew she would probably throw up later. But for the time being, she would enjoy mangling these creatures to alleviate her frustrations. She looked around in a sudden break and her eyebrows furrowed. The group was being pushed apart.  
  
Unbeknownst to her, a creature came up behind her anticipating an easy kill. Kin's golden fox ears rotated around as she heard the swish of air she had come to associate with a killing swipe and she turned around as fast as she could. But not fast enough. However, a red, white and black blur was suddenly in front of her and blocked the attack while easily dispensing of the monster with a fierce wind.  
  
Jin turned his head to look at her sideways, his expression serious for once. "Be careful."  
  
Before the golden-haired kitsune could express her thanks he was suddenly gone again, attacking another monster with punches and winds, flying above it to finish it off. For some reason, knowing that he was watching out for her gave her comfort and she returned to the fight with gusto. The creatures didn't seem to ever end, and she could only hope that the passengers had escaped on the emergency rafts. However, as the fighting went on, she could definitely say that she was getting the hang of this. It was like she had known this before and had only forgotten it; her movements got surer as she went on, finally becoming familiar with her claws and attacks.  
  
"We can't go on much longer," Mizuna suddenly said from behind her. They were now back to back, fighting a monster on each side. "They don't seem to ever end."  
  
Kin narrowed her golden eyes. "Where is the leader? Is it that bitch you said was mocking you with her aura? Where is she?!" she growled, arching a swift kick to what was probably her attacker's chin when the thing got too close. And we know that she was wearing stilettos, ooh, that had to have hurt. Apparently it did, because the creature howled in pain.  
  
Soon Kashaku joined their group forming a triangle back to back. The group had been separated, the guys were almost on the opposite side of the room now and the monsters were surrounding them on all sides. Mizuna made a sharp intake of breath. "Of course! They're forcing us apart, trying to get the three of us alone. The woman from before must be directing them with her Spirit Energy and she probably wants us alone so she can torture information about the pendants from us," she said ripping through the flesh of a monster with her fans unconsciously.  
  
The other two girls' eyes widened although they didn't cease in their fighting. "Well, it looks like the bitch is getting her wish!" Kin snarled. She sent a lightning attack at a monster just before it raked its claws through Mizuna's side and it exploded, sending chunks of steaming flesh and organs showering through the air. All three girls grimaced as blood splattered their expensive dresses.  
  
"Look! They've been forced out the door!" Kashaku cried suddenly before slicing a monster's arm off thus stopping its attack for the moment. It was true; the others had been forced out the two doors of the ballroom, leaving the three girls alone to fight the throng of monsters. How the others had been forced out was a mystery, but as soon as they were out, the doors slammed shut and glowed green for a second before staying closed. There was no sound from the other side and the girls could only assume that it had been sealed shut.  
  
Immediately the creatures ceased their attacks. In fact, they backed away, leaving a large empty circle around the three girls. They didn't let their guard down and stayed back-to-back, suspicious. The monsters shifted restlessly as if waiting for something, and soon, it came in the form of the very woman they had been speaking of.  
  
"I see you have managed to last this long. I commend you," the purring voice rang out over the quiet. It was just as Mizuna had thought, the woman from the Halloween party stood in the middle of the floor licking blood off long razor sharp claws as the body of a young woman fell to the floor. She looked up and smiled nastily at the group, revealing perfectly white fangs, sharp and dangerous. It seemed that she had stayed hidden in the chaos and remained unseen until this very moment. She walked closer although kept far enough away as to remain out of the range of elemental attacks.  
  
She was as beautiful as she had been before, unearthly in her perfection. She still had her same short ebony hair and piercing green eyes, but there were definitely differences since they had last seen her. Other than her razor sharp claws, she had two black cat ears perched up on top of her head and a long, black cat tail swishing behind her. She looked comfortable in a short, tight black dress ending at about mid-thigh with slits and long sleeves. It had a V-neck and no back, while a green sash was tied around her waist, with the hilts of two daggers poking out of it. Her tall, lace- up boots also had the hilts of daggers poking out from them as well.  
  
The woman smiled again, showing off her fangs once more. "You must always know the name of your executioner. I am Aya. I suppose I am supposed to leave you alive, but where's the fun in that?" she asked, still purring and looking pleased with herself. She looked around the room at the various monsters and then continued speaking. "Such ugly monsters aren't they? I shall get rid of them while we...talk." With that said, she simply snapped her fingers and the creatures were suddenly gone.  
  
Kin, Kashaku and Mizuna all looked around in amazement. The room was entirely devoid of the monsters although there were a lot of dead bodies, blood and gore still splattered everywhere.  
  
The water demoness narrowed her eyes. "You're the bitch that kept teasing us with your aura. What do you want?"  
  
"I thought that would be obvious," the neko said and licked her claws once again for any remaining traces of blood. "I want you to tell me where the pendants are."  
  
Kin glared for all she was worth. "Well too bad, cause we don't know where they are..." she trailed off into a feral growl, her fangs poking out over her bottom lip.  
  
The red-haired sorceress cocked her head to the side and stared at the ebony-haired neko. "Do you need to wash your hands? You keep licking them, and we can wait until you wash them if you want."  
  
The woman narrowed her eyes and stepped closer into range of elemental attacks, not seeming to notice. "Tell me where the pendants are," she hissed, her voice menacing.  
  
Golden eyes flashed. "You'll have to kill us first."  
  
A sly grin lit upon the woman's annoyingly perfect features. "Is that so?" And without warning, she attacked.  
  
It was ten times worse than the creatures had been. She was intelligent and fast, used to her own weapons and full of malice. She was everywhere at once, using her claws to force the girls apart with their need to dodge; she was grace on wings. She slashed Kashaku, ripping her dress across the stomach and ripping a shallow gash that bleed freely. The fire sorceress ignored it and brought her staff up in an arch to throw a fireball while Kin sent bolts of lightning in the woman's direction and Mizuna channeled a wave of water through her fans as well.  
  
The bolt of lighting struck the dead carcass of one of the fallen creatures and blood and gore exploded in all directions. The girls covered their eyes to protect them. When they opened them there was only a scorch mark on the floor to remind them of the neko woman.  
  
Kin grinned triumphantly. "Ha! I knew it!! She was all talk and no-"  
  
"Looking for me?" a voice came from behind them. The golden-haired girl whirled around as fast as she could and got in a fighting stance. Kin watched as the neko drew the two daggers from her sash and held them aloft, one in each hand.  
  
Spinning the daggers expertly, she looked more wary than before. "It seems that you have elemental attacks as well. Since I need one of you to tell me where the pendants are, I'll just kill two of you. I must warn you, these daggers hold a poison that kills within only hours. Just one small cut...."  
  
The fighting began again this time with a hint of desperation. Kashaku began to slow due to the wound across her stomach and Mizuna and Kin were getting tired. They weren't used to fighting, and it was wearing on them. However, a new desperation had awoken in them. The three girls began to rely on elemental attacks more and more. Kin slashed lighting, Mizuna protected them as best she could with walls of water, and Kashaku blasted with fireballs. It was no use. The neko was too fast and experienced.  
  
Mizuna was breathing heavily. "We can't keep this up," she said, wincing as the multitude of various wounds she had obtained burned with her movements.  
  
The golden-eyed kitsune twisted just in time to avoid a dagger cut along her side. "Maybe if we can hold out long enough the others will break through."  
  
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. I'm right here you know," the neko, Aya, said pausing for a moment, not even breathing hard. "This is getting boring. Die."  
  
Suddenly, the neko was dodging at twice the speed as before and attacking with a truly vicious strength. It was all Kashaku could do to fend her off. Mizuna did her best to cover for her friend, but it just wasn't enough. An opening cleared and the cat woman lunged for it with a purr of satisfaction in her throat. At the last second, the blue-haired water demoness shoved Kashaku out of the way.  
  
Mizuna fell onto one knee, her hand on the dagger protruding from her upper arm. As she turned, Kin could see the tip it sticking out the other side and her vision went red. The blue-haired girl pulled the small knife out, fearing to leave it in due to the poison. Blood spurted out of the wound and a sharp intake of breath was the only sign of her pain. Her arm was now slick with blood and she pressed her hand to the wound already beginning to feel dizzy. She only had hours. Her vision was fading; her blood rushed as fire through her veins.  
  
"I'll kill you."  
  
The neko reached down and picked up her dagger, licking the blood off the tip. She looked up as the golden-haired kitsune spoke, but didn't seem worried. "This demoness' blood is sweet, quite good. Too bad she's going to die."  
  
Kin stepped forward, her hands balled into fists, claws cutting into her flesh. She addressed Kashaku without turning around. "Stay with Mi-chan. I'll take care of this trash." The flame-haired sorceress didn't argue. She sat and pulled the wounded girl's head onto her lap.  
  
"Here Mi-chan, I'll let you borrow my lap to be more comfortable," the yellow-eyed ningen said with worry overlying her good cheer. "But just to borrow, you have to give it back eventually."  
  
Eyebrow arched gracefully, the neko addressed the kitsune. "You intend to fight me? Alone? I suppose that will mean that I shall leave the ningen alive, for you won't last long," she said almost lazily.  
  
The golden kitsune laughed, a deep, feral sound that was harsh and inhuman. "We'll see who dies."  
  
Before the neko even moved, the kitsune was slashing at her with claws rippling over with lighting, faster than could be seen. Dodging, the woman narrowed her eyes and licked her lips. So, the girl wanted to play rough did she? Twirling her daggers, the woman brought them to either side and aimed for the girl's sides. However, they missed as Kin did a fast dodging spin, coming around and kicking the woman in the back, causing her to fall forward and almost onto the kitsune's claws.  
  
Just narrowly dodging, the neko decided it was time to be serious. This girl was actually winning, and we couldn't have that now could we? She would not be disgraced. Hissing slightly, the beautiful woman dropped her daggers and readied her own claws. As the golden-haired girl slashed, the neko slipped in between her arms and ripped through the side of the girl's dress, a deep gash along her right side bleeding heavily.  
  
Smiling triumphantly, the neko pulled back confidently. "You shouldn't attempt to fight your betters. You are sure to loose-"  
  
She was immediately shut up as claws came into her vision, slicing all the way through her right shoulder and causing a burst of pain to shoot up her nerves to her brain. Her arm hung limp, unable to move due to the severed nerve chords. She screamed in pain and held her other hand up to the wound, blood running through her fingers and down her porcelain skin. "You will die for that bitch!!"  
  
Even through her rage, Kin still knew that she needed to hurry. Mizuna was loosing blood and the poison was spreading through her system. Snarling in answer to the neko's threat, the golden-haired kitsune rushed into battle, attacking and dodging, her skills sharpening by instinct far better than they would have had she not engaged in such a battle, her demon blood was rushing and boiling. She was loosing control, lost in a haze of red, intoxicated with her new strength. The neko was putting up a good fight with just one arm, but she was as good as done.  
  
There, she saw the opening and took it. Grabbing the woman's wrist in her left hand, she allowed her claws to dig into the skin and draw blood while also sending slight shockwaves down the neko's arm. At the sight of blood, Kin was finally gone. The cat whimpered in pain, and she snorted in disgust.  
  
Her instincts were screaming, 'Kill her!! Kill her!!' her demon blood urging her to delight in the revenge for her fallen comrade. She lifted up her head and her eyes shone blood red. "Die."  
  
Aya looked down and saw the arm go through her stomach with slow fascination. A clawed hand came out the back, blood splattering onto the floor. She opened her mouth to scream, but a thick warm liquid ran out between her fangs and choked her. It was crimson, lifeblood. Eyes as red as the blood draining from her body watched with calculated amusement, and the kitsune twisted her arm as she pulled it slowly out, causing the neko to cough up more of the life giving blood. It splattered across the golden- haired girl's face, splotches of darkest red. The last thing she saw was that calculated smile, fangs out, eyes savage with bloodlust.  
  
The body of the neko fell to the ground, tail twitching, and blood leaking out in a stain across the floor and mingling with all the rest. Kashaku had watched in horror as the entire fight had progressed and now that she saw the dead body of the woman she felt like throwing up. She had watched Kin through the whole thing and she wasn't sure she knew her friend as well as she thought she did. What was this bloodlust that had awakened in her golden-haired friend? It scared her. She was just glad that those red eyes weren't focused on her.  
  
Kin stood in front of the body, the strength that had filled her veins suddenly disappearing and leaving her feeling drained and empty. Her eyes shone golden again, and she stared down at her bloody hands in shock, the hands of a cold-blooded killer.  
  
Where had that sudden violent strength come from? Her movements had been so precise and calculated, as if she had been fighting with claws her entire life. Even now, her blood sang with vicious delight and she felt the haze just behind the veil of her mind. Her head reeled. She fell down on her knees and vomited, feeling sick and confused. She wiped a hand over her mouth, smearing blood over her chin.  
  
With a bang, the rest of the team burst suddenly through the door and beheld the scene with a mixture of shock and amazement. The body of the neko lay in a puddle of blood just in front of the golden-haired kitsune, who was now on her knees with her bangs covering her eyes, blood covering her and dripping from her claws just starting to dry. Kashaku still sat with Mizuna's head on her lap, the water demoness looking pale and drawn, and one hand over a wound on her arm.  
  
"What the hell happened here?!" Yusuke shouted, making his way over to the girls as fast as he could, threading through the many carcasses of creatures splattered to the floor. The others followed, with Jin flying above.  
  
Kashaku spoke so fast they could barely understand her. "The lady fought us and then we almost got her and then she poisoned Mi-chan and then Kin got mad and then she went crazy and then she killed the lady and then you came in and then you asked me what happened and then I said that-"  
  
"We get the point," Touya said cutting her off. He glanced over at the golden-haired kitsune still crouching on the ground in a growing puddle of her own blood. "Her demon blood must have taken over. She's too inexperienced to control it."  
  
Jin approached the crouching girl and reached out to touch her, but before he could she flinched. "Don't touch me!" she snarled, her voice choked. He ignored her warning and put a comforting hand on her shoulder.  
  
"It happens to all demons at one time or another," he said holding out his other hand for her to take. She glanced at it and wondered at the fact that he would still help her up despite the fresh red blood that covered her hands. She stopped staring at the dead neko and looked up at his face. He didn't even flinch at the sight of her blood-smeared face, still smiling slightly with one fang poking cutely out of the corner of his mouth. He too had wounds, although just minor ones, one of them a gash across his cheek bleeding slightly.  
  
She suddenly felt the urge to lick the blood off and shuddered, wondering if this was her demon blood's doing. The wind master's eyes were as blue as the sky, and after only glancing into them she gave him her hand without thinking. He pulled her slender frame up easily and she sank against his side gratefully, the wound in her own side making her weak from blood loss. He put a securing arm around her waist to hold her up, still smiling cheerfully the entire time.  
  
Touya, after seeing that the kitsune would be all right, approached the water demoness. She was pale and sweating, and when he put a hand to her wrist her pulse was erratic and burning against her skin. Opening one of her eyes, he found her pupils to be dilated, leaving only a ring of blue around deep holes of black. She was breathing shallowly and he determined that she still had a few hours left to live.  
  
Yusuke was standing right behind the blue-haired ice demon and demanded to know what was going on, while Hiei merely stood by glancing at the poisoned demoness out of the corners of his eyes every once and a while, fingering his katana unconsciously, a sure sign of his agitation. Kashaku sat with Mizuna's head on her lap, holding the wound across her stomach with one hand, and her scythe with the other.  
  
Kin had her arms around Jin's neck, leaning her full weight on him, pressed against his chest, her eyes closed while the red-haired demon looked like he was off in la-la-land. The kitsune's face was smeared with blood, while her claws still dripped sluggishly, and the wound in her side was visible through the ripped dress as a deep gash that was only already starting to clot with black blood. Not to mention her emotional state, after all she had killed someone. It didn't seem as if the situation would be getting better anytime soon.  
  
The passengers had taken all the lifeboats, leaving the hero's no route of escape from the ship, and although there were undoubtedly medicine kits somewhere on the ship, nothing would do anything for the demonic poison rushing through Mizuna's veins. It would take a miracle to save her life, and they were rather short on a miracle at the moment.  
  
"It seems that I have come just in time. Quickly, come with me, I have brought Koenma's mode of transportation."  
  
To be continued....  
  
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~  
  
Kin: O.O  
  
Kashaku: *pokes Kin* What's wrong with her?  
  
Kin: I just can't believe I wrote that... I've never written anything like that before. This was my first fight scene. Okay, I just wanted to say to you readers that I'm sorry about the lack of fluff in this chapter, but I think that it was necessary and the next chapter shall have the fate of Mizuna and the finding of the first pendant in it as well as a lot more fluff. I'm sorry if this chapter wasn't to your taste, just tell me what I did wrong and I'll try to do better next time! ^_^  
  
Mizuna: I had better not die.  
  
Kashaku: I wasn't in that chapter much. That makes me mad! *pokes Kin-chan incessantly*  
  
Kin: Kami-sama, I'm sorry. I focused this chapter mainly on me, the next will be on Mi-chan, and then you.  
  
Kashaku: Yay!! *dances*  
  
Mizuna: *rolls eyes* End the chapter and post.  
  
Kashaku: They should call it 'Dances With Cheetos' rather than 'Dances With Wolves.' Cheetos sounds a lot better.  
  
Kin: Yeah, okaaaaaay. Well, I really hope you liked the chapter. This is my first fic after all and I'm really trying my best. Please Review; I'm begging you!  
  
Review Responses:  
  
SukiYumi: Thanks for reviewing so steadfastly Mi-chan. I really appreciate it. And about the popcorn thingy, that was cold...so cold.... Brrrrr it's cold in here. lol  
  
LoneWolf7423: I actually updated! Yay! I'm glad that you have chosen the chipmunk, for it is very useful. Hope you liked the chapter!  
  
Yusuke's#1babe: Sorry there wasn't any fluff this chapter. There will be a lot next chapter and TONS in the ones right after that. I'm going to space out very plotful moments between fluffyness so after the first pendant there will be a few chapters of mindless fluff. Sorry if you didn't like the chapter! Please keep reading though!  
  
Please Review!! If you send me a nice review I'll give you a little puppy with a bow around its neck, if you send me a flame I will be forced to give you a rabid attack German Shepard that thinks you are a trespasser. 


	9. Water: The First Pendant

Disclaimer: I have decided to open a lawyer's education program. I will teach the lawyers the correct way to act and the proper way to carry office supplies. Well, this is what I was going to do; until I realized that I am flat out broke. ::Mizuna raises eyebrow:: Okay, I'm not BROKE, but that money is for buying anime!! ::lawyers advance with office supplies tiredly:: Yeah, I know the drill. I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho... but I will as soon as I find funding for my lawyer school.  
  
Kin: Okay, I'm REALLY sorry about the delay, but I haven't had time to breathe let alone really type this summer. I had vacation and trip after vacation and trip, I didn't even spend two days at home before I had to go somewhere for at least a week. I'm very sorry, but at least I updated eventually.... So, welcome to another wonderful chapter of Falling Into Fiction, written by, yes, you guessed it, yours truly. We have finally reached the first pendant chapter. Yay!! They just grow up so fast!! ::teary-eyed::  
  
Mizuna: No more Pringles for you.  
  
Kin: I'm on a Pringle high!! Is that even possible? Don't know; don't care!  
  
Kashaku: I like cheetos!!  
  
::Kin and Kashaku dance tribally around a fire::  
  
Mizuna: Okay, due to the fact that I am the only competent one here, I will begin the chapter with a paper I wrote in my spare time about the theory on space travel and its effects on the human body. ::ahem:: It is believed that-  
  
Kin: AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!! MAKE IT STOP!!!!!!  
  
Mizuna: Okay, now if you would-  
  
Kashaku: MAKE IT STOP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
  
Mizuna: ::sweatdrop:: I already stopped just now-  
  
Kin: AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!  
  
Mizuna: ::rolls eyes:: Whatever.  
  
Kashaku: Yay!! You know, I just filmed a movie and you should watch it. It's called 'Dances With Cheetos.' It's for the whole family!!  
  
Kin: ::sniff:: I think that 'Dances With Pringles' is so much better.  
  
Kashaku: It is not!!  
  
Kin: Is too!  
  
::argument ensues::  
  
Mizuna: Okay, with Kin intoxicated with Pringles I will just have to make an extreme effort to begin the entire chapter all by myself... Begin.  
  
"blah"speaking  
  
'blah'thinking  
  
/blah/conscience  
  
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::  
  
Falling Into Fiction  
  
Chapter 8: Water: The First Pendant  
  
"It seems that I have come just in time. Quickly, come with me, I have brought Koenma's mode of transportation."  
  
The group looked as one over to the door as they heard the soft voice ring out over the uncomfortable silence and were all surprised. Kurama stood in his usual calm state of mind, viewing the carnage of the battle with an impassive if not pleasant face. Kashaku looked like she wanted to jump up and go latch onto him, but she stayed where she was, holding Mizuna's head in her lap.   
  
Yusuke didn't waste time staring, which is most likely one reason he was said to be the leader of the detectives. He leaned down and began to pull the water demoness gently up, holding her against his side as Kashaku spotted him in case he should drop her. He glared. "Hiei, come around and take her other side and Touya go help Kashaku."  
  
Surprisingly, no one argued, and soon the team was making their way slowly out of the ballroom, going as fast as was possible in their various states. It was raining outside, there had been ominous clouds hanging around all day, and the ship rocked dangerously.... It figured.  
  
With Kurama leading the way, the others somehow managed to make it over to the side of the ship. The now jet black waves churned and smashed against the side of the ship only feet below, and the wind howled in its fury and began to lash rain into everyone's faces.   
  
There was no one in sight, although in the lonely captain's cabin, a shadow could be seen standing at the wheel. Well what do you know? It must be true what they say about captains never abandoning their ship. However, all the life rafts were gone, and it could only be assumed that the rest of the guests hadn't waited up and were somewhere out in the storm, riding it out as best as possible.  
  
"They would have been better off if they'd stayed on the ship," Yusuke mumbled. After all, there weren't any monsters left.  
  
Kashaku looked down into the frothing waves. "Are we expected to swim? I can swim. This one time in gym, Kin pushed me in the pool and...." Everyone tuned her out.  
  
Moving forward, his scarlet hair now in dripping locks, Kurama pulled what looked like some kind of thin cylindrical object resembling a bullet out of a pocket and dropped it down into the ocean. In less than even a second there was a rumbling sound that could be heard even over the roaring storm and frothing waves.   
  
Kin looked around nervously, her ears flat on her head because of the sound and the annoyance of water dripping into her ears. "What the hell-"  
  
As all the blood that had covered the group began to be washed away by the pounding rain, a slick silver capsule almost the size of a bus rose up from the waves, water sliding off its surface and rain beating down and making a hollow sound, proving it to be empty on the inside. Kurama turned around and with a weary smile that seemed to creep slowly over his features like winter seeps into fall, he spoke. "Well, come on. We don't have all day."  
  
Inside the Capsule  
  
Hiei sat with his back up against the smooth, cool metal of the transport and tried to convince himself that he wasn't worried about the blue-haired water demoness. He told himself that the nagging that was wearing at the confines of his center was just a passing thing that had nothing to do with her in the least. It wasn't working.   
  
He looked to his left and saw her flushed face, her unsteady breathing and her faint attempt to keep the pain out of her features. It bothered him far more than it should, than he would ever admit. The others were scattered about the inside of the capsule, most sleeping, some staring into space. No one dared to break the silence that covered them all like a silencing cloak. Yusuke sat with his back to the wall, eyes closed with Kuwabara, who had strangely already been in the capsule when they arrived, sitting next to him, asleep but thankfully not snoring.  
  
Across from the red-eyed demon sat a sleeping golden haired kitsune who had unconsciously wrapped her arms around the waist of the also sleeping wind master who sat beside her. The kitsune growled slightly in her sleep and her ears twitched as she gripped Jin's waist tighter and rubbed her head against his chest. To the right of them sat a meditating Touya, and next to him, Kurama, staring into space with a thoughtful look on his face and a grim expression, close on hand in case Mizuna was in need of some medical attention. And smack dab in the middle of the floor, a flame-haired sorceress lay gripping a staff like a teddy-bear and twitching slightly in her sleep.  
  
Red eyes seemed almost to be drawn to the porcelain face of the demoness propped up against the wall just feet away. Hiei watched in fascination as her eyelids twitched, proving her to be among the sultry figures that only existed in the mind's own eye, a world of dreams. He continued across her smooth cheek, along her sharp jaw line and down the white column of her throat. Here he stopped and jerked his gaze back up to her eyes only to find blue eyes now open and staring into his own.   
  
"It's near. I feel it calling, soothing mist...."  
  
She looked at him for a moment, unseeing, before blinking, sighing and shifting slightly to get more comfortable. The white bandage on her arm was stained with slight splotches of blood, not enough to warrant a change. She glanced over at the silent demon beside her, head full of a strange buzzing that was either from the poison or was connected to the pendant that now called stronger from under the waves. She seemed to have regained her awareness somewhat, but she was also weak as a kitten and so dizzy she felt as if her head would simply roll away and burst like rotten fruit.  
  
Hiei continued to stare directly in front of him, ignoring Mizuna. He stayed that way even after he felt her lose her consciousness again and slip back into the void of the dark. Her breathing was silent, almost to be unheard, not a very good sign. However, there was nothing he or anyone else could do but continue on the way towards the pendant under the sea, a location that had been supposedly programmed into the capsules memory. It made him strangely angry.  
  
Suddenly, there was a huge jolt as the bottom of the capsule hit something solid. Kuwabara snorted and simply rolled over. "About time we got there! I thought we would never get off this pile of junk," Yusuke said uncrossing his arms.  
  
"AAAHHHHH!!! GET OFF ME YOU HENTAI!!!!"  
  
Jin opened his eyes and blinked. "You're the one who was latched on to me," he said grinning in good humor. He yawned, revealing sharp fangs slashed in white across the pink of his tongue.  
  
Kin glared. "Then what's your arm doing around me, huh?" she asked, detaching herself with difficulty in order not to bump her already healing wound. It had already begun to knit back together under the thick scab of dried blood. Ah, the joys of being a demon.  
  
"We don't have time to waste, we must get her inside," Kurama said, beginning to lift Mizuna up off the ground. "If my hunch is correct, as soon as she touches the pendant the poison should be purified from her system."   
  
When everyone just stared at him, he sweatdropped then continued. "The water pendant not only strengthens the wearer's water power, but is also capable of healing and purifying those who are on the verge of death... Or so I've heard."  
  
As Kurama began to lift the blue-haired water demoness, he was surprised when her weight was suddenly lifted from his arms. He as well as most of the others looked at Hiei in shock, the red-eyed demon now holding Mizuna carefully in his arms, bridal style. However, the emotionless demon's reply was simply, "Open the door, Kitsune."  
  
Blinking, the still quite surprised Kurama simply looked to his right and an opening formed in the wall. After everyone had piled out, the strange submarine that had carried them so far under the waves shrunk to its much smaller size and the green-eyed kitsune placed it carefully in the pocket of his jacket for future use.   
  
It seemed that the submarine had taken them to some sort of underwater cave that had trapped air under the surface in a vast amount. This made them feel kind of nervous, for how was it even possible? But perhaps... a little magic was to thank for it. The cave itself was enormous, although not in the way you might expect. It was very narrow but extremely tall, so tall that the ceiling was an eternal blackness that seemed to stretch forever. Faintly glowing green moss grew on the sides of the cave which lent the traveler's their light.  
  
"Look, I don't need yours or anyone else's help alright?! I'm fine!!"  
  
Jin held up his hands. "Just tryin to help," he said as Kin 'hmpf' ed and stomped off, her wound apparently already better enough for her to be her usual angry/sulky/irritated self.   
  
While Kin obviously had problems relying on someone else's strength, Kashaku didn't seem to have that problem. She looked blissful as she leaned almost all her weight on Kurama who seemed to be bearing with it with his usual dignity. Touya glanced over at them and realized with a start that he missed the familiar weight of the annoying red-head hanging all over him. He dismissed this as a passing fancy but couldn't help feeling something was missing.   
  
When the blue light began to shine it was noticed right away, probably due to the lack of normal light. It shone a clear and penetrating pale blue, making almost everyone shield their eyes at the intensity of it. Trying to find the source, it didn't take long for the detectives to realize that it was coming straight from Mizuna. It shone from within as well as seeming to ripple over her body like liquid silk. Her eyes were open wide, shining blue from socket to pupil, and she seemed to be staring straight ahead.  
  
As one everyone looked in the direction she was staring to find that the clear blue light had revealed an intricately carved door just ahead, once covered in darkness. It was almost impossible to tell what had been carved into it as everything seemed to shift if not looked at from the corners of one's eyes. The door was fairly tall but narrow, with no handle or anything that looked to be of use in opening it.  
  
Hiei's brief look of surprise was the only warning as Mizuna's body suddenly began to float, still shining with that unearthly, piercing blue light. Before anyone could react, the glowing girl was already in front of the door... and she didn't stop. She went right through the door, seeming as if either she or the door had no substance at all. Immediately, her friends were at the door, trying to open it, but it was as hard as steel for them and could not be opened.   
  
"It is only part of the test," Kurama said. "She has to fight to earn the right to guard the pendant." He seemed to frown a bit at the word "right" but otherwise he seemed his normal calm self. Perhaps even relieved.  
  
Yusuke raised an eyebrow. "Since when have you known so much about the pendants? And what was the mission that the toddler sent you on that was so urgent?" he asked, suddenly suspicious and wary.   
  
"Anyone wanna play cards?!" Kashaku suddenly yelled, pulling a deck of cards from nowhere. This immediately incited an argument with her golden-haired kitsune friend about where she had been keeping them. It was actually quite the interesting debate when you thought about it.  
  
The brown-eyed leader of the spirit detectives did not miss the quick look of relief that passed over Kurama's face as the hyper, red-haired girl interrupted the beginnings of what had promised to be an interesting conversation. What was it that Kurama knew that they didn't? And why wasn't he telling....  
  
With Mizuna  
  
For the past few hours, Mizuna had been in a constant state of blackness, pain and dim memories of faces that swam before her eyes. And then, then the light had come. The intense blue light that had shone from her had filled her so full that there was no room for poison; it felt as if it was pushing everything out, and she'd had to cling desperately to her memories and dreams for fear they would be swept away. It was the pendant.  
  
Just being on the opposite side of the door as it had allowed it to purge her system of all sickness that had once flowed through her veins, burning her alive. She now lay on blessedly cold stone, her eyes closed, knowing that she was on the other side of the door that she vaguely remembered passing through. The pendant was in this very room, and she felt a cold blue light shining against her eyelids; this light was what persuaded her to open her eyes.  
  
Sitting up, Mizuna looked around to find herself in a large stone chamber. There were no windows or doors save the one she had just entered through, and there, just in front of her was... the pendant.   
  
It shone from within with a strange light, the very same cold light that had burned through her only moments before. It was round and small, smaller than the size of a golf ball, sitting atop a stone shelf set low in the wall. The shelf actually had a strange alter-like feel about it, as if this was some ancient temple where a primitive people had come to worship.   
  
The pendant, extremely beautiful, continued to shine in a pool of its own silvery blue light. The light rippled on the walls like the reflection of water, pale and serene. The stone was round like a rather large marble, and the longer Mizuna looked at it, the more she could see swirling in its depths. The dark blue rippled, and shadows could be seen dancing as if behind glass walls. A silver chain was attached to it like a necklace and she estimated that it would fit over her head easily. Even now the deep blue stone called, and she longed to answer.   
  
She stood, finding that although she was a lot weaker than her normal state, she was still in fairly good shape. Walking forward, she approached the pendant and reached out her hand to pick it up. However, before her fingers could even brush against its smooth surfaced, a voice broke out over the eerie silence of the small cavern. Mizuna whirled around; ready for the battle with the previous guardian she had been warned about.  
  
"Please refrain from taking that just yet. I believe the matter of a battle is at hand. I am Shisui; I shall be your opponent." And there he stood, in all his glory, his voice smooth and emotionless as steel. Even as his voice lacked emotion, he seemed to have a bored look placed upon his aristocratic features.  
  
A man who looked to be in his mid-thirties, the guardian of the water pendant stood and observed her with cool scrutiny and calculation. There was no other word for him but beautiful. He had aristocratic features, with high cheekbones, everything in perfect proportion. His hair was a dark ebony color, short, but with long bangs that just brushed his deep blue eyes... eyes that rivaled the pale sapphire of Mizuna's own. He stood at average height, but seemed much taller due to his manner.   
  
"You cannot fight in those clothes... better. Now begin," he said. He seemed to have no patience or consideration for others, seeming almost as if he thought them below him.  
  
Mizuna looked down to find that in the pause between his words her clothing had changed. The bedraggled dress that she had previously had on as a remainder from the ball on the cruise had disappeared, and in its place she was now wearing the clothes she had been wearing after first appearing in this world. The long blue skirt with its one slit, the shirt with its one sleeve, the silver armlet, and even the belt with her two fans was now in place. She also noticed that she was now completely dry, and her hair in its usual high ponytail.  
  
Wondering how the guardian had done such a strange bit of magic, Mizuna gazed at him warily, taking in his own state of dress, choosing not to speak, not quite yet.   
  
He seemed to have a preference for the old Japanese style, choosing to wear a pair of black hakamas and an also black gi coupled with, yes, you guessed it, a black sash and boots. Altogether, he seemed like a dark assassin, the only color being his own skin and deep blue eyes. He seemed to have no weapon, but the also blue-eyed demoness didn't let this fool her. Although he stood as if with a rather mocking sense of boredom, she sensed the taunt grace and lean muscle he was concealing.  
  
"Do not waste any more of my valuable time, attack demoness or prepare to be struck down with a single blow."  
  
Mizuna wiped a bead of sweat off her forehead. "It seems I don't need to. You already have," she said. His aura was extremely immense and strong; its cold certainty was threatening to sweep her away, rushing against her in a torrent. She erected a barrier of her own, counteracting his lack of emotion with her own emotions of anger and fear to counteract it.  
  
He had chosen to begin a battle of aura strength before he began the physical battle it seemed. He was truly strong, not even flinching when she initiated a counterstrike of her own, batting it aside like a fly. But, although she was a beginner and still a bit weak from having been poisoned, she knew she could hold out for quite a while; she would not be discouraged.  
  
The stoic man before her let the corners of his mouth twitch before returning to his bored expression. "Pretty good, at least you are able to sense auras. It also seems as if you are doing a fairly good job keeping yourself from being swept away."  
  
Suddenly, before the water demoness could even blink, Shisui was right in front of her, holding a sword to her neck. He 'tsk'ed slightly at her lack of self defense and pulled his sword back, leaving a paper thin cut on her neck that only just began to bleed slightly, stinging. Lowering his sword, he spoke in his voice of silk steel.   
  
"Is that all you're made of? If that is all you're going to show me, you might as well leave right now," he said with more than just a hint of boredom this time. He turned around just in time to block a smooth swipe towards his neck. His sword locked against Mizuna's bladed fans, he smirked. "Better."  
  
Even as they began their fight the blue-haired water demoness could feel his aura weighing down on her, pushing her, his calm emotionless power still trying to wash her away. She endured it as best she could and focused on her partner in the delicate, graceful dance she was now a part of. He was smooth and fast as water, easily parrying her blows and striking back with at least twice the amount as hers. He was fluid like water and more graceful than a swan in flight.  
  
She quickly came to realize that she just wasn't advanced enough to handle the cold, emotionless swings of her partner. The blue-haired demoness would just have to find another way. As his aura continued to threaten to sweep her away in a flood of her own emotions she suddenly came to realize her mistake. She was giving him something to weigh her down with; she was giving him the fodder for his fire. She took it away.  
  
Shisui's eyes narrowed and he admitted to himself that perhaps he had not given the girl enough credit. She had dropped her emotions, thinking of nothing, feeling nothing. She was now going totally on instinct, letting her body take control rather than her mind force her one way and her body another. Her movements immediately became swifter and more forceful, becoming a part of the intricate dance completely now. There was nothing left for his aura to sweep away, to weigh down.  
  
The water demoness herself was coming to realize that even though her body was now using its maximum strength and speed, she would still lose if this kept up. She was simply too tired and not experienced enough. However, if she could manage to surprise him, to overload his senses with her thoughts, she might be able to take one shot, one shot to take him down. Concentrating, Mizuna prepared to call every single emotion to the surface she had ever felt, everything she feared would overtake her, and so had become the cold girl she was now.   
  
It worked. The black-haired man before her suddenly broke off his attack and his face took on a look of pain as his cold certainty was suddenly flooded and swept away in a torrent of Mizuna's own memories and feelings.   
  
The joy she had felt when she had first realized she had friends, the pain she had felt when she realized her parents didn't love her, the determination that drove her to be strong, the fear of being alone, sad and unending sorrow... everything flooded into him and more, until he couldn't see for the memories and emotions. Mizuna jerked herself out of this stream of emotions, having been almost swept along as well, feeling every emotion again, living every moment for the second time in her life. She took her chance, for it wouldn't last long. A few tears slipped down her cheeks as she struck.  
  
When Shisui came back to himself only moments later he found her fan's sharp steel at his throat. He looked up at her, and for the first time he could remember, smiled, really smiled. Mizuna felt breathless with the force of his smile on her, it was a beauty that was far beyond anything she had ever felt. The guardian reached up and touched his face as if this emotion expression was foreign even to him as well.  
  
"You have won, I admit defeat girl. How you could make a dead soul like mine feel again is a mystery, but I thank you."  
  
The blue-haired demoness reattached her fans to her belt and her emotionless mask slipped back onto her face and covered her surprise with practiced ease even as her opponent's did as well. She looked at him speculatively. She had learned much from this battle. Sometimes it was best to trust instinct, relying on the mind too much was not wise. She had also learned that emotions could be a powerful, losing touch with them could prove fatal.   
  
The demoness bowed, hands clasped in front of her. "Arigato for the lesson Sensei."  
  
Shisui stood, sheathing his sword, looking almost surprised... almost. "Perhaps I have learned a lesson as well," he said, making Mizuna look to him sharply, wondering if he was able to read minds. She wouldn't put it past him.  
  
The blue-eyed man stood before her and she stared at him, wondering what he was thinking. He seemed to be struggling internally with something that she couldn't name just by looking at his terrible beauty, and emotionless face. He suddenly spoke, and she was surprised to find that he seemed to have a tinge of what she was almost sure was regret in his voice.  
  
"Nothing is as it seems. Illusion lives in illusion, and placing one's trust so blindly in a representative of what is thought by others to be the truth is a dangerous thing." He became suddenly stern, as if he was speaking to a daughter. "Ignorance is no excuse."  
  
The water demoness before him gave him a flat look, silently telling him that he was making no sense.  
  
"When this quest is over, you may not still be-" he broke off. "I have said too much. I will leave you with this last bit of advice, girl. Be sure; be sure of what you are getting yourself into. Think of the whole picture, not just yourself or others, always the cause. Never yourself...." He trailed off here with a sigh. He seemed to realize that he was rambling and with a self-disgusted wave of his hand he flicked his hand towards the pendant, gesturing for her to take it.  
  
"Take it; you have earned the... right... to possess it."  
  
Mizuna didn't miss the note of sarcasm in his voice as he said 'right' and she shot him a suspicious look before she walked forward. She approached the pendant with what she realized with a start was excitement. Now, finally she would be able to answer its call.   
  
Behind her, Shisui's mouth twisted into a bitter, wry half-smile, his gaze slightly pitying as he watched the girl approach the pendant with sloppily concealed excitement. Poor ignorant girl. Now that his mask of cold certainty and emotionless boredom had been shattered he felt a sort of protectiveness towards the girl, like a true guardian. He watched as she picked up the pendant, watched as it immediately fused with her soul, trapping her in her fate.   
  
'Goodbye girl, my soul must now return to its resting place in the Reikai. Heed my warnings and... remember what you learned.'  
  
When Mizuna turned around she found herself alone in the cavern. But somehow, she knew what Shisui's final message had been. She wondered if his mind reading ability had rubbed off on her and smiled slightly wondering how she could be understood and understand someone so completely in such a short time. Perhaps it was because a certain soul was needed to control each pendant and therefore they were more alike than she had originally thought.   
  
As the blue-haired water demoness pulled the shining blue pendant over her head it ceased to glow and lay against her chest, seeming to be an ordinary piece of jewelry that any girl might fancy. But she had felt the fusing to her soul it had done although she wasn't quite sure what it was. Somehow she felt whole now, but still, she couldn't get the words that Shisui had left her with out of her head. He had been warning her about something, but what?   
  
Approaching the door from whence she had come, the demoness turned her head once more to gaze at the completely dark cave, now completely devoid of spirit or light. She wondered what it felt like to die, and she decided that she would ask Shisui someday when she joined him in the afterlife. With a small smile, Mizuna stepped back through the intricately carved door, leaving the cave in now complete darkness, to sit alone under the ocean, never again to be filled with life.  
  
Back with the others  
  
When Mizuna stepped back through the door, everyone was suddenly on their feet. However, Kashaku was the first to speak.  
  
"Mi-chan!! Did you get the pendant? What happened to your clothes? Did you fight the guardian? Was it hard? Why are you so different?"  
  
The water demoness in question looked at Kashaku flatly. "Yes, I got some new ones, yes, yes, and..." she trailed off as she thought of an answer to the last question. "I... have grown..." was the only answer she could supply.  
  
As Kashaku scratched her head, trying to match the answers back with the questions, Kin spoke up, "What the hell do you mean, 'I've grown'?! What's that supposed to mean?!"  
  
The blue-haired girl ignored her fuming friend in order to look at her the people surrounding her, the one's she had come to call friends. Yusuke stood leaning against the wall looking irritated as Kuwabara talked to him about something undoubtedly stupid, Kurama was attempting to politely disengage himself from the flame-haired sorceress that had first questioned her, Touya was attempting to disguise a rather more jealous look than was comfortable for him as he looked at Kashaku, Hiei was standing looking bored, and Jin was just behind Kin, just waiting for his chance. As Mizuna took all of this in she simply shook her head.  
  
"Well, let's go, we have two more pendants to find don't we?"  
  
Kin stared at her then began twitching. "What the hell?! Don't ignore me!!"  
  
The blue-haired water demoness gave her golden-haired friend an annoyed look. "You'll find out soon enough. Now let's go," she said with a small tinge of impatience.  
  
"Hmpf," was Kin's very predictable reply as she began to sulk.  
  
Mizuna ignored Kin's grumblings about the unfairness of the water demoness' dry clothes, and thought about her battle. She wondered how it had been managed to revive Shisui long enough for him to fight her, for she had sensed it. He was dead. Koenma had brought him back only long enough for him to test her, and then he had been sent back to the Reikai to rest in his eternal sleep.   
  
It was not impossible, so that meant that the guardians were already dead, but Koenma had said that they were still guarding the pendants alive until she and her friends were ready to take the pendants for themselves. But clearly, Shisui had been merely a spirit just now revived only for a time. So that made Koenma either a liar or perhaps he had said that, and she had just misinterpreted his meaning.  
  
Everyone piled into the submarine once again and sat back down in their respective seats except for Kashaku who sat right next to Mizuna, staring at the pendant and asking the slightly irritated water demoness pointless questions like, "How much does it weigh do you think?" However, when Mizuna pointed out that Kurama looked a bit lonely; the red-haired sorceress was immediately gone and latched onto the kitsune's arm.  
  
She resumed her thinking. There was some kind of mystery behind the pendants that was being hidden, that she was sure of. The question was, why? Obviously they needed guardians, so what was the big deal, what was the mystery? She would need to meditate on this more, until then she would simply be careful and try to be mindful of Shisui's advice as much as she could.   
  
The first step to the end of their mission had been taken, that she was sure of.  
  
Elsewhere  
  
"It seems that they have the first pendant now in their possession. How... fortunate. As it seems that Aya has been killed, are there any volunteers?"  
  
Five figures sat around the table, most looking up towards the head of the table where their leader was addressing them. Takashi.   
  
A figure stood. "I'll take care of this. Just let me at 'em!!"  
  
Although darkness cloaked the tall, muscular form at the head of the table, you could almost swear that the person sitting there was laughing although there was no sound. He waved a hand and the figure that had offered their help was suddenly gone, most likely at a location nearer the prey, where they would be able to reach them easily.   
  
"You are dismissed."  
  
All the figures around the table stood and left, leaving their master to contemplate in silence. "Do not fail me Natsuko, or you are likely to find yourself in a lot more trouble than you bargained for." With this statement, the large shadow that was Takashi was suddenly gone; disappeared to some unknown location.   
  
Meanwhile, Natsuko reappeared somewhere in the forest. She licked her lips and sniffed the air, trying to catch the scent of the traveler's she was searching for. Not finding them in the immediate vicinity she took off, hopping from tree branch to tree branch. Her eyes glinted red in the moonlight; it wouldn't be long.... not long at all.  
  
To Be Continued.....  
  
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::;;  
  
Kin: Okay, I'm really trying to update, so try to be understanding.   
  
Mizuna: Here it comes....  
  
Kin: I've had vacations galore and that's not even taking account for writer's block and other such things. I'm really sorry for not updating sooner. ::bows:: Gomen Nesai.   
  
Kashaku: Just update already!  
  
Kin: Okay, I won't waste time with banter and stuff, here are the review responses. But just one last thing, I'm sorry if the chapter has grammatical mistakes and is kind of weird. I wrote it all until about 12 a.m. so I'm really sorry if it's bad. I'm just trying to update as often as I can!!  
  
Review Responses:  
  
LoneWolf7423: If you are still there, thank you for the penny! It saved Kashaku's life! ::gives LoneWolf puppy:: YAY!! PUPPIES ARE CUTE!!  
  
ryuugitsune: Thank you for reading my story all the way up to 1 a.m.! If you are still there I thank you very much.  
  
Inu: Thanks for reviewing! I love writing fight scenes, especially bloody ones, too bad this wasn't a bloody battle... oh well! There will be more in the future!  
  
Ryoko, Faia: I am terribly sorry at the lateness of my chapter update. If you wish to know why it was so late simply scroll up and look. Thanks for reviewing!  
  
runnerfan13: Hope that answered your questions about Kuwabara and Kurama! Thanks for reviewing!!  
  
spellsattwilight: ::hands rabid German Shepard:: Watch out for that one, he's a meanie! Anyway, thanks for reviewing, I really, really appreciate it!  
  
SukiYumi: You didn't die, don't hurt me!  
  
Amai Kitsune: ::hands puppy:: Thank you!! I feel so honored. ::for once there is no sarcasm in Kin's voice:: I'm sorry there wasn't fluff in this chapter, but I can PROMISE that there will be in the next one. Thanks for reviewing!!  
  
Hiei's1girl: I feel so evil the more I hear people asking me to update and I don't... good work!! It makes me want to update even more!! Thanks for reviewing!!   
  
Xxrupert-grint-loverxX: Thanks so much for the compliment and even more the review!! ::hands puppy:: Have fun!!  
  
Hiei17: I hope that Hiei was in this chapter enough. Tell me if you think he needs to be in it more!! Well, he isn't really pissed with Aya exactly, but he was really worried about Mizuna and stuff. - heehee  
  
Child of the Ancients: Thank you so much, I feel so loved!! ::hands puppy:: Enjoy!! Thanks for reviewing!  
  
fanfic-demon: SO SORRY!! I'm really trying to update, but I was so busy... okay, enough with the excuses. Thank's for reviewing, and here, have a puppy!! ::hands puppy::  
  
TPM-girl: Thank you so much, I know that it sounds meaningless after all the times I've said it, but I really mean it. Reviewers like you make me want to start the next chapter right now!! ::hands TPM-girl puppy:: Enjoy!!  
  
Sei-san: Once AGAIN, I am so sorry for not updating sooner. Thanks about the illusion thing, I just kind of thought of it randomly! It's nice to know that at least somebody likes my random ideas!! Thanks for reviewing!!  
  
MexicanJew: I AM SO SORRY!! ::bows:: I hope you enjoyed the chapter, and I'm going to start the next one as soon as I finish downloading this chapter!! Thanks for reviewing though!!   
  
sordid: ::glare:: I told you last night, Internet Explorer wouldn't load and it kept screwing up; I can't help it if my internet service is being evil. What did you expect me to do?! I was trying damnit! ::cough:: Anyway, thanks for finally reviewing, and I'm sorry about the whole 'didn't tell ka-chan I was going on vacation thing', sorry! Now, I'm off to try and make this update! Away!!  
  
Review Please!! If you send me a nice review I'll give you a pretty little box all covered with shells from my trip to Florida, if you send me a flame I will be forced to send you an evil jellyfish from my trip that stung me. Thanks!! 


	10. Dreams

Disclaimer: whispering They're coming… the demons are here to kill us all and take over the planet. They're there before you even know it; they're always watching… watching _you_…. lawyers look around nervously OH MY GOD! THERE'S ONE RIGHT THERE! AAAAHHHH! IT'LL GOUGE YOUR EYES OUT! _cute fluffy squirrel walks up and lawyers give Kin-chan flat look_ What? I'm telling you… they're secretly planning to take over the world! They are I tell you! lawyers heft desk lamp Okay, fine, I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho! Now get that… that thing! Away from me!

Kin: Okay, now that I have successfully trapped the squirrel in my closet and away from me, I can begin the chapter. Now we just have to watch out for the Furbies….

Mizuna: I don't even want to know.

Kin: What? It is a common known fact that the squirrels are in cahoots with the Furbies. And one day, the mole people will rise from the sewers under Russia and the war between the Furbies and the mole people will be all out for control over the government of America. I mean, everyone knows that.

Kashaku: There are mole people in Russia? I thought they just lived in Canada.

Kin: _shakes head_ You're all so ignorant, you need to be more aware of politics!

Mizuna: (watch this) George Bush is our current president.

Kin: Who?

Mizuna: _files nails_ Oh, nothing….

Kashaku: Oh no! Look Kin-chan, it's a squirrel!

Kin: AAAAHHHHH!

Kashaku: Just kidding!

Kin: _glare_ I'm really sorry for the whole not updating in a year thing, but I've had some issues this year with school and parental units. And in case anyone was wondering, I have no idea where the hell Yusuke got the money that the girl's stole to buy their dresses and cruise stuff… anyway, enjoy the chapter. Oh yeah, this chapter and the next are breaks from the plot and basically just **humor**, finally. There is also some Mizuna/Hiei fluff thrown in there somewhere…So… read on!

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**Falling Into Fiction**

**Chapter 9: Dreams**

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Dark misty shadows slipped between the branches of twisting trees and the raucous cawing of what sounded like large birds echoed in the dull silence. In fact, everything was dull here, deep in the silence, in the silvery forest of shades, and wisps of phantom smoke. The forest was strange, the trees so tall and bare, warped branches grown together to block out the light and soft dead leaves slowly decaying into the undisturbed soil. It was a place that had been undisturbed for what could even be centuries; it was a place of silence and twisted darkness rotting in its own oppressive decay….

"I'm hungry! Feed me Mi-chan!"

The cheerful voice cut through the harsh silence like a knife and a flock of crows let out a series of startled shrieks before taking off in a flurry of ruffled ebony wings. A group of three people was slowly trudging its way through the woods, taking their time to step over the protruding roots of gnarled trees with circumspection. One of these people was a short man with pale blue hair wearing what was almost unidentifiably a ripped-up tuxedo, one a water demoness with a sapphire skirt and shirt, and the last was the young sorceress with a happy appearance that had first spoken.

Although Kashaku was unable to run around due to the still fresh wound on her stomach, that didn't make her incessant whining any more bearable. It had almost been three hours since the group had been separated, and Mizuna was almost ready to kill the still bouncing girl. If they didn't stop for the night soon she would finally be forced to….

Thankfully her thoughts and cracking knuckles were interrupted at this point by Hiei, returning from his scouting position up ahead. He stared at her unblinkingly with his almost glowing red eyes and she felt an interesting sort of heat creep up her neck for some unfathomable reason. He seemed to notice too because he stared at the once pearly white column of her throat for a few seconds before looking back up to her face and raising an eyebrow with a slight smirk. She simply returned the favor with a frosty glare, the heat receding with his arrogance.

"We will camp here for the night," he said simply, bored.

No one replied to his statement, just settled down for the night trying to get as comfortable as possible without any kind of protection against the cold, especially in their ripped clothes… except for Mizuna who had fresh clothes. Although it was almost impossible to tell time in the frozen lethargy of the shadow forest, Hiei had driven them into the dusk, and just into the night. They were tired and dropped off to sleep immediately, Kashaku mumbling, wrapped around Touya, and Mizuna propped herself against the trunk of a tree while Hiei sat atop another.

Shadows darkened until there were no shadows, no distinctions from the light and dark, for there was no light anymore at all. It was the dead of night, black as pitch due to the canopy of branches, twisting and writhing together like worms until it was impossible to tell where one tree's branches ended and another's began. It was at this time that something began to move, something deep within the lidded and gloomy heart of the forest, something alive... something hungry.

Hiei's glowing crimson eyes suddenly snapped open as he felt something wrapping around his leg and slowly snaking its way up his body. The only indication that he had moved at all was the swish of a blade and the sound of something almost silently hitting the decayed leaf-carpeted ground. He narrowed his eyes. This wasn't good.

* * *

For some reason, the village full of singing munchkins seemed wrong to Mizuna. The fact that her house had just landed on the wicked witch from the East and she had just gained a pair of magical ruby slippers also seemed wrong. Adding to the oddness, a girl with long, flaming red hair and bright yellow eyes was following behind her in a large dog costume saying her name was Toto. She decided not to comment.

Walking down the street that wound between small cottages and buildings also of the same miniature caliber, surrounded by munchkins, Mizuna eventually made her way to what seemed to be the center of the town. Here the annoying singing and dancing was finally put to a stop by the mayor of the munchkins. She didn't need to ask why they were waiting. They had only been singing about it for the last twenty minutes… meeting the good witch Glinda of the North.

A glimmering bubble of the most delicate pink came floating down from the sky and fluttered its way over to where the blue-haired girl stood waiting, bored. 'Toto' gave a short yip from behind her as the good witch appeared and Mizuna winced. Looking at the bubble she could see the beautiful face of a young woman, with long curling golden hair and molten gold eyes, a tall pink, sparkling crown upon her brow. As the demoness watched, the bubble came floating down and the girl was suddenly standing before her looking in all her sparkly pink glory like Barbie on her way to the prom.

"Who the hell are you?" Mizuna asked, well… it was more of a statement really.

The girl before her smiled kindly and waved her wand elegantly, releasing a shower of sparks. "Why, I am the good witch Glinda. I'm here to help you-"

A loud rip tore through the air and the good witch before her fell over on her butt, the extremely huge and pink, glittery skirt flying everywhere as she waved her arms around. "Shit! Damn this god-forsaken dress! I'm calling my agent about this, it's just unreasonable!" She continued to flail around uselessly.

Blue eyes regarded the tangle of limbs and fluffy dress with little interest. Mizuna watched her struggle for a while before turning around and beginning to walk away. She didn't have time for this. However, she was stopped when the girl suddenly appeared in front of her, all signs of crossness gone, and minus a tall glittery hat. Two golden fox ears were twitching on top of her head.

"Ahem," the witch said as she plastered on a sugar-sweet and rather sickening smile. "As I was saying, follow the yellow brick road. It will lead you to what you desire."

As Mizuna began to walk down the pointlessly spiraling yellow brick road with Toto closely on her heels, she could hear the good witch behind her yelling at someone on a cell phone. Munchkins were singing and the high heels on her feet were starting to pinch her toes. She'd had about enough of this…

_Flash Forward_

"I am the great Wizard of Oz! What is it that you seek!"

_("I seek the magical underwear of Fujimababa!" Everyone gasped in shock at her bold statement._

"_Do you understand the chickeny consequence of your actions?"_

_She nodded solemnly. –This moment brought to you by Mi-chan)_

The sapphire-haired demoness stared at the giant floating head with glowing red eyes warily. The last thing she remembered was talking to some girl in a Barbie prom dress, how had she gotten here? She looked around, surprised to find that in addition to the mean-looking floating head there were four people standing just behind her. Well, _people _might be too strong a word.

In addition to the red-haired girl in the dog costume there was also a boy with straw sticking out his shirt cuffs and the bottom of his pants, an ugly red-headed boy looking scared in a lion costume, and a man with pale blue hair clanging in a suit of tin with no expression whatsoever. Okay, this was just getting stranger by the moment. However things just got weirder when the giant head disappeared and a man with tall black hair, red eyes and a katana at his side came out from behind a curtain.

"I asked you what you wanted," he said calmly, as if nothing out of the ordinary was going on. He was dressed in an ugly orange costume complete with puffy sleeves and long purple flowing cape. For some reason Mizuna felt a snicker rise up in her throat, but by supreme effort managed to simply cough.

He continued. "I'm assuming you need some courage," he said looking at the ugly red-headed boy in the lion costume. "Well, too bad. I don't care." The lion burst into tears at this statement and ran from the room bawling his eyes out. The short man crossed his arms in annoyance.

"I see nothing wrong with you," he said looking at the tin man. "Except your choice of wardrobe. A heart is inconsequential in the long run and frankly I still don't care." The blue-haired man didn't seem to care that this statement had been directed at him and continued to ignore the situation in favor of shoving Toto away from him as she tried to jump onto his back.

Mizuna was about to interrupt the 'wizard' before he moved on to the scarecrow but he continued to plow on despite her. "And _you_," he said looking at the green-eyed, black-haired scarecrow, "are definitely in need of a brain." He smirked

"Why the hell does everyone keep saying that!" the straw-stuffed youth practically yelled. "I already have a brain! How the hell can I be talking to you if I don't have a brain!"

The orange-clad wizard had no expression. "That is something that I'm sure we're all wondering," he said emotionlessly. He turned towards Mizuna, finally recognizing her presence. However, he seemed puzzled all of a sudden. "And what do you want?"

The water demoness was quite ready to leave this insane situation behind her and forget about the whole experience. "I want to get the hell out of here."

"Ah, why didn't you say so in the first place!" a female voice suddenly sounded, quickly followed by a tinkling laugh.

'Oh Kami, not the Barbie…' Mizuna thought to herself, mentally smacking her head against a wall.

But lo and behold, it was the Barbie… or Glinda if you wanted to get technical. She landed on the ground gracefully, her tall glittery hat back in place and cell phone nowhere in sight. She waved her wand around, accidentally hitting Toto in the face, but didn't seem to notice. Her sappy, fake smile was back in place.

"Just tap your heels together three times and say, 'there's no place like home' after each tap. You've had the way to get home all along, the ruby slippers hold the power!" she said, smiling and strangely holding on to the wall… but that might have been because otherwise she would have fallen on her butt again without the support to hold her up. Man that dress must have been heavy with all that pink glitter layered on it.

Mizuna thought for a second. "Ruby slippers… you mean the ruby slippers I got from the dead witch under the house." When she saw the good golden-haired girl's nod she coughed. "They were pinching my toes. So, I ditched them."

And that was when the monkeys arrived. Yes, you heard me correctly; I said that's when the _monkeys _arrived. But these weren't normal monkey's, oh _no_. These monkeys were blue… and they had wings… and they were actually kind of hot. Both monkeys blinked in surprise as everyone stared at them.

"Um… argh?" the first one said. Both monkeys had red hair and bright green eyes.

Okay, what happened next was not totally unexpected, but let's just say… that it was rather surprising.

"Oh my Kami! You complete idiots! What the hell are you doing! You're in the wrong scene!" Glinda exploded. "I try and I try, and what do I get! This shitty Barbie prom dress that weighs more than I do and a pair of monkeys that can't even come in during the right scene! That is it! I **quit**!"

The first monkey blinked and his ears wiggled. He spoke up, and his voice had a distinct Irish lilt to it. "So does this mean you'll be free later?" For his efforts he received a free cell phone… lobbed at his face courtesy of Glinda.

In the chaos that ensued Mizuna backed up and tried to figure out what the hell was going on. This was a totally random and for some reason it didn't feel right. Where was the forest? Wait, what forest…? Something was blocking her memories and her thoughts were sliding around uselessly like loose change in her head. She reached for some kind of explanation and found nothing. Her mind just kept drawing a blank.

A hand on her shoulder caused her to jump and she turned around to find a mirror image of the 'Great Oz' standing before her. However, this man wore a long black coat as well as a katana, no ridiculous orange robes in sight. His intense ruby-colored eyes caused something in her mind to stir and she suddenly remembered everything. This caused her to wonder once again what the hell was going on and how she got here. She opened her mouth to question him but he cut her off.

"Let's go wench. We don't have time for questions." He grabbed her arm and dragged her through what seemed to be a door standing in the middle of the floor. She questioned the fact that she hadn't noticed this before, but soon forgot about it after being dragged through it and blacking out.

* * *

Blinking, Mizuna's large azure eyes took in the dark forest around her, the decaying leaves and twisted trees. She wondered if all that had just happened had been a vision or dream of some kind. "What was that?" she asked, her voice emotionless but for a hint of annoyance. She noticed the withered vines that surrounded her and stood up carefully, avoiding them in distaste.

Hiei looked at her from the corner of his eye. "They are the vines of the tamashii no shokubutsu ­. They live in the heart of certain forests in the Reikai." He paused for a moment to chop a vine in half that was slithering towards his foot. "They are relatively weak, so they strike in the dead of night, wrapping their victims tight as they sleep, sucking out their soul to feed. A side effect of the process is that the victim is trapped in whatever dream they happen to be having as it becomes more vivid and real the longer they remain constrained."

Mizuna, having finished brushing off the now dead vines, asked him one more question… or three. "Why did you go into my dream, and how did you do it? Why not simply cut the vines free of me and be done with it?"

With a disdainful snort, the fire apparition before her answered reluctantly, apparently not fond of saying more than a few sentences between caustic remarks. Kurama was usually the one to inform others of the situation, not him. "If I were to simply cut you free you would be trapped in your mind, a driveling idiot for the rest of your life. To save a person from the grasp of their soul-sucking dream they must be drawn back out of their mind. Free from sleep, the vines will have then lost their power over the victim and will shrivel and die, overpowered."

"That still doesn't explain the _how_ of it all," the water demoness said icily, not liking the tone he was using with her. She wasn't some moron that couldn't figure things out. Being ignorant made her frustrated and irritated her to no end, it was amazing that she had even asked him anything in the first place, letting him know of her lack of knowledge. She fingered the edge of one of her fans in aggravation and gave Hiei a level look.

He didn't even glance at her, only serving to make her more annoyed. "I used my Jigan eye to synchronize with your spirit energy and simply opened up a door into your mind. Simple and effective" He paused and started for a dark, vine-covered lump on the ground. "Stay here, I will retrieve the ice demon. Guard my back."

Before Mizuna could protest he was kneeling on the ground and had pulled the headband from his forehead, baring his third eye. Looking to the lump of vines on the ground that was almost completely indiscernible as a man, Hiei's eye began to glow and Mizuna could sense what might have been his consciousness slip into Touya's mind. She shuddered at the thought of being trapped in another person's psyche and was impressed with the fire apparition's bravery… or perhaps it was just the fact that he didn't care.

Slowly, almost sulkily, vines began to creep up on the immobilized Hiei. The blue-haired water demoness held her fan aloft and it slid open soundlessly, blades invisible in the complete blackness that surrounded them like a prison. The vines were dead in seconds; she was after all getting a feel for fighting. After a while, becoming tired of standing in the middle of a clearing and feeling like an idiot, the demoness sat with her back to Hiei's, keeping her fan drawn and ready.

The fact that the sarcastic apparition had trusted her to guard his back was strange enough to warrant contemplation. A sigh escaped her lips and she leaned against him, enjoying the contact. It was so confusing. Sometimes she felt herself becoming lost in his crimson eyes, glaring at her with unidentifiable, swirling emotion. She wasn't sure what she felt, but something tugged her in the direction of the cold, indifferent demon. However, although her attraction was undeniable, feeling such emotion was foreign to her. Hell, she practically knew the guy! But she felt it, something that she didn't want to recognize for what it was just yet…

Well, at least like this he couldn't glare at her with his angry crimson eyes and make some scathing comment, keeping his distance. The arrogant jerk was completely vulnerable…. Mizuna smiled slightly, slicing through green rotting flesh as another vine approached. So… she would guard his back.

* * *

Holding onto Hiei's black coat sleeve, Mizuna peered around his shoulder to see where they had come out. The trip into Kashaku's mind had been strange and rather disorienting; whether this was due to the fact that she had come as an extra passenger or that it was just like that in general she didn't know. Hiei had successfully freed Touya and she had of course wanted to go along for the ride into her red-haired friend's mind… she was extremely curious as to what it was like inside the mind of a human mind, dream or no.

They were in an office of some kind, extremely expensive from the look of the large bay windows, glass paperweights, ornate ballpoint pens in cases, and a large mahogany desk in the center of the room. A large, black tall-backed chair sat behind the desk, the back facing them. The entire atmosphere had a feel about it of dark and moodiness, uncharacteristic of Kashaku to say the least.

Hiei detached his sleeve from her grasp and she looked at him expressionlessly, seeming for the entire world like she had been standing this way the whole time. He frowned slightly and was about to open his mouth when the squeak of wheels distracted them.

Slowly, dramatically, like in almost every movie ever made, the black chair before them turned. Swiveling on wheels apparently in need of some oil, it made its circle to reveal…Kashaku in a purple and yellow pinstriped suit. She held a duck in her arms, stroking it lightly, and an extremely strange look on her face, like she was trying to act tough… or something. A cigar drooped heavily from her lips, unlit and looking strange, like she didn't know what she was doing with it.

Mizuna stared at her friend for a second and it was only her natural, frozen poise that allowed her to keep her face from twitching spastically at the sight. Hiei coughed in a rather strangled manner.

"What have you come for?" the red-haired girl asked. She steepled her fingers, leaning forward in the chair and over the rich colored desk. "The Godmother doesn't see just anyone you know."

The pair simply stared at her, both feeling the urge to laugh, both ignoring it. Mizuna coughed. "Kashaku, this isn't real. It's just a dr-"

"Touya. My coffee!"

Instantly, almost as if he'd been waiting right at the door, a young blue-haired man in a black business suit ran into the room with a cup of coffee balanced in the palm of his hand. He set it in front of the 'Godmother' before fading back quietly to the shadows behind her right shoulder as a silent and statuesque guard of ice.

Kashaku sipped her coffee slowly for a moment before dumping it into a nearby plant. "So I understand that this 'Mr. Popper' is bothering your daughter. Is that correct? I can have some boys 'take care of him' as a favor if you want. After all, we're all one big family." She waggled her eyebrows like this was important.

The two stoic demons standing in front of the desk stared. This was messed up, even for Kashaku. I mean, seriously… Mr. Popper? Wasn't that a book about penguins or something? This was going a little too far, and time was running out.

The blue-haired water demoness took it upon herself to speak. "Kashaku, this is a _dream_. It's not _real_," she said slowly as if speaking to a child or an idiot.

"Have you met my little friend?" Kashaku asked, plowing on. "He squeaks," she said and squeezed the duck in her lap. It let out the same kind of noise you would expect a rubber dog toy to make as it was being ripped apart by an overenthusiastic dog. It was rather unpleasant to say the least.

Mizuna sighed in exasperation and her eyebrow seemed to have a permanent tick in it. "Kashaku, just shut up and let's leave."

The red-haired 'godmother' in front of them slammed her fist down on the table. "How dare you speak to your godmother like that! Guards, seize them and do something really mean and unpleasant to them!"

Two figures emerged from the shadows where Touya had just dematerialized: one with long golden hair and the other with shaggy red hair. Both were dressed in extremely ridiculous pink and red pinstripe suites and green ties, also wearing large pairs of dark sunglasses. Both also held large super soakers in each hand.

"Oh for Kami's-" Mizuna slapped her forehead with one hand in annoyance. "This is just becoming insane." And with that, the extremely irritated water demoness dodged the two bodyguards, which wasn't too hard due to the fact that they seemed to be having difficulty seeing through the dark sunglasses, and grabbed Kashaku by the arm. "We're getting the hell out of here."

The red-haired sorceress pouted as she was dragged towards the door now standing alone in the center of the room, but didn't struggle. She grinned happily at the glaring Hiei as she was shoved through said door and finally opened her eyes in the real world.

* * *

The first thing she noticed was all the ugly, writhing vines covering her. She furrowed her eyebrows and quickly ripped them off her. Looking up, she saw a still annoyed looking Hiei and an emotionless Mizuna talking to each other in quiet voices. With some further inspection she located her favorite 'boyfriend.'

"Touya!"

Said ice demon sighed as he felt the familiar passenger grab his arm. He wondered if she would still be latched on to him if Kurama was around and glared at a tree for no reason that he could fathom when this thought occurred to him. Deciding that it would be best to figure out what their next move would be and distract himself from these uncomfortable thoughts, he walked over to Mizuna and Hiei, dragging Kashaku with him.

Mizuna was speaking. "I think it would be best if we try to locate the others through meditation. As soon as we get a lock on their Spirit Energy we'll need to hurry as fast as we can to release them from the vines."

"Hn," was Hiei's response. He didn't seem to agree or disagree.

Eyebrow slightly twitching, the water demoness replied sarcastically to his noncommittal response. "Well, unless _you _have a better idea?"

To this comment she received no response at all and she glared at the fire demon standing so haughtily with arms crossed over chest. He seemed to be ignoring her completely now, and it was really starting to get to her. She drummed her fingers on her leg in annoyance before opening her mouth for a scathing remark.

"I agree with Mi-chan!" Kashaku yelled extremely loud all of a sudden. Her voice echoed through the forest making a flock of birds wheel off suddenly, screaming. She also served to startle the rest of the group and divert their attention from what would probably have become a dangerous and very sarcastic fight.

The sorceress blinked her exotic yellow eyes. "What? Why are you all staring at me? Aaah! I can't take it!" She fell on the ground dramatically and pretended to die.

With a twitch, Mizuna shook her head. "No reason Ka-chan, none at all. Let's just try to locate Kin and the others okay?"

Yellow eyes shone from the ground as the other girl nodded her assent. Touya seemed to already be in his form of meditation, having become bored with the conversation a while ago. Turning around, Mizuna saw that Hiei had disappeared into the treetops again and she rolled her eyes before sitting down to begin her own meditation. Hoping that Kashaku didn't become too bored and draw things on her face again with marker, she slipped off into the spiritual awareness plane and followed threads of energy, searching for her friends before it was too late.

"Hm… who to draw on first…decisions, decisions…"

**To Be Continued….

* * *

**

Kin: Will Kashaku draw things on our heroes' faces? What will she draw? What the hell is going on! Find out in the next chapter of Falling Into Fiction!

Mizuna: Riiiiight. If you ever update.

Kashaku: If it takes you a year again… I'm going to go read something else.

Kin: T.T I'm so abused.

Mizuna: You're the one that didn't update in a year.

Kin: Oh. Right. Anyway. See you next time! I'll try to update again as soon as possible but I don't know if I can. I have camp all summer for about 5 weeks but I'll do my best. Love you guys, peace out.

Review Responses:

SukiYumi: I hope you're happy. glares I fixed the description and stuff. And I finally updated after only a year!

Ban: YAY! I shall try to kill of Kuwabaka soon, but he has an important roll in the story later. But that's actually good, cause this way I can torture him for our amusement!

animefreak54: why thank you very much

TPM-girl: hands box of shells and jellyfish in bucket Yes, I am alive, but barely. School was horrible. T.T thanks for reviewing so much!

Twilight Oracle: Nah, they aren't all female. Actually… there's only one more female of the group after this one! The rest shall be sexy guys… muahahaha!

painin uranus: O.O I'm scared! _hides ice cream_ I'm sorry I didn't update in almost a year -.-o, but that's for reviewing if you're still there! By the way, your name is simply wonderous. Haha.

Amai Kitsune: _eats Tub-O-Pringles_ yummm. Mizuna likes to eat pizza, so you should give her pizza. It makes me happy to know that people like my battles. _dies in bliss_

Achava: Yeah, the only bad thing is that it took me another year to update again… -.-o

Child of the Ancients: Thank you so very much. Indeed it shall be Kashaku/Touya, because that's just so cute! I'll try to update sooner than a year this time, hehe

Hiei's1girl: I'm glad you like it! I try my best! Love to you!

raiko gotal: I LIKE DR. PEPPER TOO!

Hiei17: Aaah! I haven't been on in a year, so I shall read your story as soon as possible!

Baka Onna Hanyou: I stink at spelling too. My English teacher told me so.

Time and Fate: O.O thank you so much! I love you!

GoldenKnives: I am very glad you liked it and I shall try to update again faster than a year. -.-o when will the guilt end?

saki: wow, there seems to be a genius in our midst. Calling me a bitch and saying 'fuck you' is definitely a sure way to make me update. Wow, just wow.

The Woman Who Watches: Thank you for being so understanding! I'm sorry I stole your fic idea too! I hope you like this chapter… it's kind of weird because I worked on it over a year and so it's kind of random where I started again and again.

Review Please! If you send me a nice review I'll give you a lifetime collection of noodles, if you send me a flame I will be forced to send you a lifetime supply of cockroaches directly imported from Jamaica. Thanks!


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